Italian Tomato Pudding Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Stir in bread. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., In the same bowl, whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper; pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

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.

Steps:

• Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes in 2 batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling water, 1 minute per batch. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel, beginning from scored end, with knife.
• While tomatoes are cooling, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Halve tomatoes crosswise, discard cores, and scoop seeds into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press on seeds to extract liquid, then discard seeds. Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches with strained tomato liquid in a blender or food processor.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic paste, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add a small amount of puréed tomatoes near side of skillet (sauce will splatter and bubble vigorously). When bubbling subsides, add remaining purée, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Return skillet to heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature, about 1 hour, then stir in vinegar.
• Trim crusts from bread slices, reserving crusts for another use. If using Pullman loaf, cut 4 slices in half diagonally, then cut 1 round from 1 more slice using cookie cutter. If using round loaves, square off 5 slices of bread from center of loaf and cut triangles and 1 round in same manner. Ladle 3/4 cup sauce into soufflé dish and spread to cover bottom. Line bottom of dish with bread in a pinwheel shape, putting round in center and fanning triangles around it, covering sauce completely (you may have 1 triangle left over). Ladle 1 1/4 cups sauce over bread layer, spreading evenly to cover. Cover sauce with more bread slices, trimming as necessary to fit in 1 layer in dish. Repeat layering 3 more times, using 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce each time and ending with bread. Cover top layer of bread with remaining sauce. Cover surface with plastic wrap, then top with a plate small enough to just fit inside dish. Weight pudding with 2 heavy cans (about 2 pounds total) and chill at least 12 hours.
• Remove weights and plate and run a thin knife around edge of dish. Invert a large plate over pudding and invert pudding onto plate. If any sauce remains in dish, spoon it over pudding. Cut into wedges, drizzle with olive oil, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish and place bread cubes in the dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes have softened slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in basil. Pour the entire tomato mixture over the bread. Sprinkle Romano cheese over top, then stir until well combined.
• Beat milk, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together for custard in a large bowl until smooth. Pour over the bread mixture and gently toss to coat.
• Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven until slightly puffed and golden, 24 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

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.