Pomodori Ripieni di Riso - Tomatoes  Stuffed with Rice
Stuffed vegetables are very popular and this brightly coloured dish goes particularly well with grilled fish.
4 large tomatoes (or 8 smaller ones)
200g (7oz) arborio rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
60g (2oz) butter
salt and pepper to taste

Wash the tomatoes and cut off the tops, setting them aside to use later as lids. Scoop out the pulp and seeds from the tomatoes with a teaspoon and put the pulp in a bowl. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on to each tomato and put it upside down to drain. In the meantime cook the rice in salted boiling water for 10 minutes so it is only half cooked. Take an ovenproof dish large enough to accommodate all the tomatoes and grease it well with the butter. Mash the pulp with a fork and add the finely chopped garlic, parsley, olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix in the drained rice. With a teaspoon fill each tomato with the pulp and rice mixture and put the tomato top back on each, then place the tomatoes in the dish and bake them in the oven on a medium heat for about 30 minutes or until tender. Pierce the tomato with the point of a knife to see if it is done - the skin should be slightly wrinkled.

Asparagi alla Parmigiana - Baked Asparagus with Parmesan
A good dish if you've missed the first of the season's tender asparagus or if you're using the fat asparagus from Tuscany which hasn't as much flavour as the wild asparagus from around Rome. A speciality of Parma unlike many other dishes with the same name.
1 kg (2 1/4lb) asparagus
75g (2 1/2oz) butter
60g (2oz) freshly grated parmesan
salt

Depending on how tender the asparagus is you will have to cut away some of the stem and some of the tough fibrous stalk. Also trim any small leaves. Soak in cold water for about 10 minutes then rinse twice in fresh water. Tie the asparagus up in a bundle in two places.
If your villa doesn't run to a special asparagus pan or even a fish kettle (which would do) fill a deep oval pan with about 4 litres (7 pints) of water, bring it to the boil and place the asparagus bundle down flat inside it, boiling uncovered for about 15 minutes or until it is done enough to be pierced with a fork. Lift the bundle out and transfer to a dish, untie the string and tip the dish so the juice runs to one end, throw it away. If you have one, choose a rectangular dish the size of the asparagus and smear it with butter. Put a layer of asparagus along the bottom (all facing the same way). Sprinkle with salt, a dot of butter and grated Parmesan and then start another row, slightly overlapping, with the tips of the new row over the butts of the old one. Continue until used up but don't cover the tips. Bake on the top shelf of a hot oven for about 15 minutes until golden.

Melanzane alla Parmigiana - Baked Aubergine Parmesan Style
Serves 4
2 large aubergines
5 ml/ 1 tsp salt
45 ml/ 3 tbsp olive oil
100 g/ 4 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
30 ml/ 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
45 ml/ 3 tbsp passata (sieved tomatoes )
50 g/ 2 oz 1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated

Cut the aubergine into 1 cm 1/2 in thick slices lenghtways. Lay them on a flat dish and sprinkle with the salt. Allow  the aubergines to stand for 30 minutes. Wash drain and wipe thoroughly on kitchen paper.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry (saut�') a few slices at a time until golden brown on either side. Cover the base of an ovenproof dish with the aubergine slices.
Sprinkle with layer of mozzarella cheese, basil and then passata. Continue to layer the ingredients in the manner, finishing with a layer of cheese.
Sprinkle with the parmesan. Bake in pre heated oven at 180 C/350F gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.

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