The 10-Minute Martha Stewart Tomato Recipe I’ve Been Making for 20 Years

My father was no gourmet, but he had one particular food obsession. When the tomatoes in the garden ripened to juicy perfection, he was waiting, ready for a bacchanal of tomato bliss.

I have an indelible image of him in my memory, the professor who let his hair and beard go full hippie in the summer, in shorts and a tank top, rapturously savoring sliced tomatoes over the sink. For lunch, he would make a sandwich of white bread, mayonnaise, and thickly sliced tomatoes and eat it sitting alone on the porch, with no distractions. 

Raw tomatoes were his great love. They never went into a sauce, as they were too precious and their season too fleeting.

When I became a chef, I wanted to serve him a great tomato dish when I visited, but the rest of us occasionally grew weary of eating the raw, unadorned fruit. Then, I found Martha Stewart’s broiled tomato recipe in The Martha Stewart Cookbook. The recipe delivers a tomato that deliciously straddles raw and cooked, and it’s delicious.

How To Prepare Martha Stewart’s Broiled Tomatoes

The topping for the tomatoes is so simple. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small skillet, then add one-quarter cup of breadcrumbs, stirring until they turn golden. Then, off the heat, stir in a pinch each of salt and pepper and two tablespoons of chopped parsley. This topping can be made ahead of time and left at room temperature for hours.

Set up an oven rack at the second-highest position and preheat the broiler so it is hot when you slide your precious tomatoes in.

Cut a half-inch slice from the tops of four ripe tomatoes. Remove any core with the tip of a paring knife. If the bottom of the tomato is not flat, shave off a very thin slice to help it sit upright. Place the tomatoes on a baking pan cut-side up and top each with a tablespoon of the breadcrumb mixture.

Broil for four to five minutes, until the crumbs are browned. Watch them carefully—they can burn in an instant. Use tongs to move the tomatoes to a plate and serve immediately.

Tips for Making Martha Stewart’s Broiled Tomatoes

Select tomatoes with an even, squat shape that isn’t too huge. Three- to four-inch tomatoes are best, but if you have a perfectly ripe, massive beefsteak tomato, you can call it two tomatoes and cut it in half to serve. ALWAYS provide steak knives to your diners to make these tomatoes easier to eat.

The breadcrumb topping is really customizable. A couple of tablespoons of ground Parmesan mixed in is delicious—I don’t like to use shreds because they meld the crumbs into a solid piece that is hard to cut.

You can also change up the herbs: Add minced thyme or rosemary to the crumbs as you toast them, or substitute basil for parsley after the crumbs are toasted. Minced garlic, lemon zest, and minced toasted walnuts or almonds are easy, flavorful additions to the topping.

Finally, this recipe serves four but is easy to double, which you’ll probably want to do anyway because the tomatoes are so easy to eat.

My dad approved, and I’m sure you will, too.