Servings
Font
Back
Riso al Forno
5 from 84 votes

Riso al Forno

Riso al Forno is an Italian baked rice casserole featuring partially cooked arborio rice layered with a savory meat sauce, green peas, scamorza cheese, and Pecorino Romano. The meat sauce is richly flavored with garlic, onion, anchovy, and tomato, simmered to depth. The casserole is baked and optionally broiled to develop a golden crust, yielding a hearty, cheesy dish with varied textures.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 714 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the sauce
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 5 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 anchovy fillet optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, crushed, hot
  • 2 pounds (908g) ground chuck
  • 3 ounces (85g) tomato paste
  • 2 ounce cans plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
  • black pepper to taste
  • salt to taste
For the riso al forno
  • 2 1/2 cups (500g) arborio rice
  • 2 cups (340g) peas thawed, frozen
  • 2 cups (226g) scamorza cheese shredded
  • 1/4 packed cup basil chopped, leaves
  • 3/4 cup (68g) Pecorino Romano cheese grated

Instructions

For the sauce
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the plum tomatoes and mix in to incorporate. Once the sauce starts bubbling, turn the heat down to a very low simmer.
  5. 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
  1. 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.
  2. Preheat oven to 375f and set the racks near the middle level.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

Notes

  • Makes 8 moderate or 4-6 large servings.
  • Parboil the arborio rice so it completes cooking in the oven without becoming mushy.
  • Broil the assembled casserole for 1-2 minutes for added color, watching closely to avoid burning.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently before serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories 714kcal (36%) Carbohydrates 63.4g (21%) Protein 36.9g (74%) Fat 34.8g (54%) Saturated Fat 14.8g (74%) Cholesterol 109mg (36%) Sodium 384mg (16%) Potassium 670mg (14%) Fiber 4.8g (19%) Sugar 11.2g (22%) Calcium 304mg (30%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 714

% Daily Value*

Calories 714kcal 36%
Carbohydrates 63.4g 21%
Protein 36.9g 74%
Fat 34.8g 54%
Saturated Fat 14.8g 74%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 384mg 16%
Potassium 670mg 14%
Fiber 4.8g 19%
Sugar 11.2g 22%
Calcium 304mg 30%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.