Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes for Two

Cooking for two tonight? Transform a large, juicy, garden-fresh tomato into a flavor-packed vegetable side dish. So simple, so delicious, so healthy.

Jul 26, 2022

Prior to launching this Recipes Made Healthy newsletter, I wrote a weekly recipe column in the Detroit Free Press for nearly two decades. During that time, the number one request I received from readers was to create more recipes that yielded just two servings. So, for my long-time readers and new friends, here you go – Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes for Two.

What I love most about this recipe is its simplicity. All you need is one really large tomato, a handful of ingredients, and about 15 minutes of oven time. The result is one delicious side dish.

A staple vegetable in the popular and healthy Mediterranean diet, tomatoes provide a hefty dose of vitamins A and C, along with fiber, iron, and potassium. They also contain lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against cancer by preventing cell damage in the body. While research findings are mixed, some studies show a reduced risk of prostate cancer with higher intakes of dietary lycopene.

Lycopene is the pigment that gives tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, red bell peppers, guavas, red cabbage, and papayas their red color. One nutritional bonus to broiling the tomato slices is that lycopene from cooked tomatoes is more readily absorbed by the body than lycopene in raw tomatoes.

I used a beefsteak tomato for this recipe. They are quite large and have a meaty flesh that holds up well when broiled. A Brandywine heirloom tomato would be an excellent choice as well. Bottom line – you’re looking for a tomato large enough to cut into four, 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch-thick slices.

The meaty flesh of a beefsteak tomato holds up well when broiled.

To your health,

Darlene

BROILED PARMESAN TOMATOES for TWO

Yield: 2 servings

Serving Size: 2 tomato slices

Prep: 10 minutes

Ready: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 extra-large fresh tomato, cut into 4, 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 pitted kalamata olives, finely minced
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely minced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic glaze

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomato slices between sheets of paper towel and allow to sit while preparing topping.
In a small bowl, mix together cheese, olives, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Discard paper towel and place tomato slices on a sheet pan. Top each slice with one-quarter of the cheese mixture.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Set oven temperature to broil and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer tomato slices to a serving platter, drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.

In the grocery store, look for balsamic glaze (sometimes called balsamic reduction) where you find bottled vinegars.

Nutrition Information per Serving

89 Calories, 4 g Total fat, 1 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 7 mg Cholesterol, 237 mg Sodium, 9 g Total carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary fiber, 6 g Total sugars, 1 g Added sugars, 5 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 127 mg (10%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 427 mg (10%) Potassium