Riso al Forno
Riso al forno is a baked rice dish that combines Arborio rice, green peas, and cheese with a meat sauce that's baked until golden and bubbly.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 small anchovy fillets optional
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 2 28 ounce cans plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- salt and pepper to taste
For the riso al forno
- 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 2 cups frozen peas thawed
- 2 cups scamorza shredded
- 1/4 packed cup basil leaves chopped
- 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano grated
Instructions
For the sauce
- Heat a large saucepan to medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the beef and cook until browned (about 7-10 minutes). Remove the meat to a plate, leaving 3-4 tablespoons of the fat in the pan.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion. Saute until soft (5-7 minutes) then add the garlic and anchovy and cook for another 2 minutes more or until fragrant and the anchovy dissolves. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the plum tomatoes and mix in to incorporate. Once the sauce starts bubbling, turn the heat down to a very low simmer.
- Cook for at least 20 minutes uncovered at a low simmer, stirring occasionally to avoid any sticking. Taste-test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper if required.
Assembling the riso al forno
- While the sauce is simmering parboil the rice in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain the rice and rinse under cold water. Mix the rice with the peas.
- Preheat oven to 375f and set the racks near the middle level.
- In a very large bowl combine the rice and peas with the sauce, reserving 3 cups of sauce for later. Also, mix in the basil, half of the scamorza cheese, and half of the pecorino.
- Coat a 9x13" baking dish with half of the remaining sauce. Pour the rice into the dish and top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
- Bake the rice for 30-35 minutes or until tender. For extra color broil for 1-2 more minutes but watch carefully! Wait at least 10-15 minutes before eating so that the rice settles. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Makes 8 moderate-sized or 4-6 large portions.
- Parboil the rice! The rice is just partially cooked and will be cooked until tender in the oven.
- For extra color, broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch very carefully to avoid burning.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 714kcal | Carbohydrates: 63.4g | Protein: 36.9g | Fat: 34.8g | Saturated Fat: 14.8g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 670mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 11.2g | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 6mg
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