Italian Tomato Pudding Recipes

GRANDMA'S TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• In 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat tomatoes to boiling; stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
• Uncover saucepan and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer, stirring often, until tomatoes thicken slightly.
• Stir in tomato paste, brown sugar,salt and pepper.
• Put cubed bread over tomato mixture.
• Pour melted butter over bread.
• Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
• Serve.

BEST TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the water and tomato puree. Mix in the brown sugar, basil and salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, then set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Place the bread cubes into the dish, and drizzle with melted butter. Pour the tomato sauce over all. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes.

TOMATO-BASIL BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Filling: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Add the bread cubes and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil. Pour the tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese over the bread cubes and combine well.
• Custard: In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together until smooth. Pour the custard over the bread mixture and gently toss to coat. Bake until slightly puffed and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pudding from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pour the tomatoes into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Place the torn pieces of bread in a layer over the tomatoes, and dot with pieces of butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING WITH TOMATOES AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. If the bread is soft, toast it lightly and rub all the slices, front and back, with the cut clove of garlic. If it's stale, just rub with garlic Mince what garlic remains. Combine the two cheeses in a small bowl.
• Layer half of the bread slices in the baking dish. Top with half the tomato slices. Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt, pepper, and half the thyme, rosemary, and remaining garlic. Top with half the cheese. Repeat the layers.
• Beat together the eggs and milk. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few twists of the pepper mill, and pour over the bread and tomato layers. Place in the oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.

ITALIAN-STYLE CANNED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet or line it with a clean towel. Set aside.
• Wash the tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Cut a small "X" in the blossom end, or bottom, of each tomato with a paring knife. Dip the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately plunge them into the ice bath. Slip off the skins and remove the cores.
• Heat the tomato juice in a small non-reactive pot until simmering. Place the canning rack in the canner and fill the pot with water; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Place a still-hot, clean quart canning jar (see Cook's Notes) on the prepared baking sheet. (This will help contain any dribbles or spills and prevent the jars from directly touching the metal.) Place the lemon juice and salt in the jar. Add the basil leaves. Pack the tomatoes into the jar one at a time, pressing firmly to remove any air pockets and leaving at least 1/2 inch of headroom. Cover the tomatoes in the jar with the hot tomato juice, leaving 1/2 inch of headroom.
• Using tongs, place the jars on the rack in the canner. The water should cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner. Return the water to a boil and boil gently for 85 minutes (at altitudes less than 1,000 feet elevation; see Cook's Note). Using tongs, transfer the jars to a towel to cool. If the seal works and fits properly, the metal lid will be slightly concave within 24 hours of processing. Store in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.

SAVORY TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Place them in a food processor and pulse until they are chopped fine. Or chop them fine by hand.
• Stir in the garlic, olive oil and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the bread into slices about 1/2-inch thick. You should have about 18 slices.
• Place 3 to 4 of the bread slices in the bottom of a 6-cup mixing bowl, trimming them if necessary so they completely cover the bottom of the bowl. Spoon about a quarter of the tomato mixture over the bread, enough to cover it. Make another layer of the bread, another of tomato, another bread, another of tomato and finish with a layer of the bread. Except for the bread in the bottom of the bowl, the other layers do not have to fit tightly.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then set a dish that will fit inside the rim of the bowl directly on the wrap. Weight this dish with a heavy can of food, a rock or other heavy object and place this assembly in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Put the bowl on a plate to catch any liquid that may spill over.
• To serve, remove the weight, the plate and wrap. Run a flexible knife or spatula around the pudding inside the bowl to loosen it. Unmold the pudding onto a serving dish that has enough of a rim to catch any juices. Garnish the pudding with sprigs of basil and serve in wedges.

TOMATO BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (about 13 by 9 inches).
• Toss tomatoes in a bowl with herbes de Provence, 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in a large heavy 4-sided sheet pan.
• Cut off and discard 1/4 inch from top of garlic head to expose cloves, then put on a sheet of foil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Wrap garlic in foil and roast in pan with tomatoes until tomatoes are browned but still juicy and garlic is soft, 50 to 60 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Cool garlic to warm, then force through a medium-mesh sieve with a rubber spatula, discarding skins. Reserve purée
• While garlic cooks, toss bread cubes in a large bowl with remaining oil until coated, then spread out in a large 4-sided sheet pan and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, garlic purée, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in cheeses. Transfer bread to baking dish, then pour egg mixture over bread and add tomatoes, pushing some down between bread cubes. Bake until firm to the touch and golden brown in spots, 50 to 60 minutes.

ITALIAN TOMATOES (((WONDERFUL AND EASY)))

Steps:

• Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and place into a large bowl.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and toss well to evenly distribute.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or more.
• Serve as a side dish in small individual serving bowls.

ITALIAN TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• Put stewed tomatoes, tomato juice, anise seed, garlic, sugar and all spices in a large sauce pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the parmesan cheese. Stir to mix in.. Add the bread pieces and stir well. (If to mushy.. add more bread... if too dry...add a little tomato juice).
• Push the cheese cubes down into the pudding mixture to melt. Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes before serving.
• ***Serve family style, put in pudding dishes or plate with the other parts of your meal. *** Garnish with sprig of fresh basil or parsley or sprinkle of shredded cheese. *** This is meant to be served hot, but some people like it cold. *** Always taste the sauce to determine if you need to add more spices to your liking... but remember that there is salt in breads and that as foods cool down... the salt flavor sometimes gets stronger.. Easy on the salt!
• *** We make this as directed, but some people bake it as they would a sweet bread pudding... both ways are good... our family prefers this creamier and faster version.