The Best Type Of Tomato To Use For Stuffed Tomatoes

As delicious as vegetables are in their own right, we must admit that they're even tastier as a vehicle for all manner of enticing stuffings. From red peppers to cabbage rolls, zucchini boats to halved acorn squash, and many more produce items in between, humanity just seems to have a thing for scraping out the seeds of vegetables (and savory fruits) and stuffing them with everything from ground meat to rice to shrimp (via Real Food Whole Life).

Almost every culture on earth makes some version of this classic vegetable preparation, from Greek bell peppers stuffed with rice to Ukrainian cabbage stuffed with ground beef and pork to Indian bitter gourds stuffed with tamarind paste and raw sugar (via Bawarchi). And of all the stuffed vegetable (or, in this case, fruit) variations out there, stuffed tomatoes just might be one of the most universally appealing.

But which type of tomatoes are best suited for the job?

If you love stuffed, baked tomatoes and are looking to prepare some in an Italian, Greek, or Turkish style, the first thing you'll want to pick out, most likely, are the tomatoes themselves. While all types of tomatoes — from grape to cherry to plum to heirloom — boast their own type of deliciousness, when it comes to stuffed tomatoes, you'll want to select fruits that are large, sturdy, and not too watery.

Beefsteak tomatoes, according to Kitchn, are just the ticket in this case, and Giada De Laurentiis agrees. With a generous size that can hold a good amount of filling and a sturdy exterior that won't slump too much once cooked, they're an excellent choice for stuffing with your favorite flavorings and then baking or grilling, per Kitch. When you scoop out the interior, the outlet notes, don't toss that pulp; You can use it in gazpacho, a bloody Mary, or simply heap it atop some toasted, garlic-rubbed bread for a quick side dish of Spanish pan con tomate.