Layers of rice, a tasty beef and tomato sauce, and cheese baked until the sides are bubbling and the cheese is melted, golden brown and oh so good!
Lasagna, a dish with layers of pasta, meat sauce and cheese, is one of my all time favourite meals and this dish replaces the layers of pasta with layers of rice! This recipe is pretty much the same as a regular lasagna recipe with the noodle replaced with rice. The rice is partially cooked, by boiling it in water, and it finishes cooking when the assembled dish is baked, absorbing all of the flavours from the sauce! The sauce is a simple meat or bolognese sauce with tomatoes and seasoning in addition to beef! This recipe takes a bit of time to make but it’s so worth it with it’s layers of creamy and chewy rice, tasty tomato meat sauce and ooey gooey melted cheese!
Riso al Forno (Baked Risotto)
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 8
Layers of rice, a tasty beef and tomato sauce, and cheese baked until the sides are bubbling and the cheese is melted, golden brown and oh so good!
ingredients
2 cups arborio rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
1 pound lean ground beef (or italian sausage, casings removed)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups marinara sauce (link))
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (link) (or oregano)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or basil, chopped (optional)
directions
Boil the rice in salted water for 10 minutes, drain, and rinse in cold water (to stop the cooking process), before mixing in the olive oil and parmesan.
Meanwhile, cook the beef and onion in a large pan over medium-high heat, breaking the beef apart as it cooks, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, fennel, and tomato paste, mix and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, before turning off the heat.
Grease a large baking pan and layer half of the rice over the bottom followed by half of the sauce, and half of the cheese, the remaining rice, sauce and cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese is melted lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Tip: If you use lean beef you can cook the onion at the same time as the beef. If you use a fattier ground beef you will want to cook the beef first, grain off the grease, set the beef aside, and cook the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, before adding the beef back to the pan with the tomatoes.
Note: Arborio rice is a short grained rice and it can be replaced with carnaroli or sushi rice or regular long grained rice.
Option: Add 4 ounce pancetta or bacon, diced, cooked before the beef, setting it aside before adding it back to the sauce along with the tomatoes.
Option: Add 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced, along with the beef.
Option: Add 1/2 cup carrots, diced, along with the onion.
Option: Add 1/2 cup celery, diced, along with the onion.
Option: Add 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced, along with the onion.
Option: Add 2 teaspoons soy sauce (gluten-free or tamari for gluten-free), along with the tomatoes.
Option: Add 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free for gluten-free), along with the tomatoes.
Option: Add 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream, mix into the sauce at the before layering.
