Riso al Forno (Italian Baked Rice)

Rice, cheese, and tomato sauce bake to make a delicious dinner. This versatile dish will make everyone happy. Leftovers make excellent arancini.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 443 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• water as needed
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (Optional)
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 (23 ounce) jar tomato puree (passata)
• 1 ¼ cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• 1 cup cubed provolone cheese

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread crumbs together in a bowl; set aside.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add passata, vegetable broth, peas, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Add rice; mix well. Cover and simmer, adding a bit of water if necessary to keep rice from sticking to the bottom, until tender, about 18 minutes.

Step 3

While the rice is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 4

Remove the Dutch oven from the stove and gently stir in provolone cheese. Sprinkle reserved bread crumb mixture on top.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly and browned on top, about 15 minutes.