Baked Rice with Tomato
How do you make baked rice pie with tomato?
Cook the brown rice al dente and mix it with homemade tomato sauce, peas, and Parmesan cheese. Assemble the pie in a baking dish, alternating layers of rice with mozzarella and optional seitan. Cover with more sauce, top with breadcrumbs, and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes until the surface is golden.
A fantastic recipe that can be prepared in advance and made with the ingredients we like best. The version I’m sharing is a base, but you can let your imagination run wild. Perfect for a holiday meal: prepare it 1 or 2 days ahead and bake it right when you need it.
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Servings: Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- Perfect for a holiday meal: prepare it 1 or 2 days ahead and bake it right when you need it.
- 500 g brown rice
- 1 L tomato sauce (bottled or canned is fine)
- 250 g peas
- 450 g mozzarella
- 150 g Parmesan cheese (125 g for the rice + 25 g to sprinkle on top)
- 1 whole onion
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: 225 g seitan, plant-based deli slices, etc.
Instructions
Start by washing the rice very well. Place it in a medium, high-sided pot, add about 1.5 L of water, lightly salt it, add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and cook the rice al dente. Mine, for example, cooks in 35 minutes, so to keep it al dente I cook it for 20 minutes. Once ready, drain it and set aside.
While the rice is cooking, place the tomato sauce in a medium, high-sided saucepan with the onion cut in half, a little salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with dried basil or add a few fresh basil leaves. Cook the sauce for the same amount of time as the rice.
Cut the mozzarella into small cubes, place them in a colander, and let the liquid drain while you continue with the preparation. Set aside.
When the tomato sauce is ready, add it little by little to the rice until it is well moistened (about 800 ml). Reserve a little sauce to spoon over the rice at the end.
Add the peas and 125 g of Parmesan cheese.
Mix well.
If you decide to add seitan, cut it into small pieces and brown it in a nonstick pan for about 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside. If using plant-based deli slices, simply set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (395°F). Now that all the ingredients are ready, you can begin assembling the dish. Add a little extra virgin olive oil to a baking dish; mine measures 30 cm x 22 cm.
Start by spreading half of the rice with peas and Parmesan as the base.
If you decided to add seitan or plant-based deli slices, place them over the rice.
Next, add the mozzarella cubes.
Now add the remaining half of the rice.
Now spoon over the tomato sauce you had reserved.
Finally, sprinkle with the remaining 25 g of Parmesan cheese and a little breadcrumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C (395°F). Then move it to the top rack for 5-10 minutes, until golden. Enjoy it hot or warm; it is delicious. Note: It keeps for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen: once assembled, freeze it and then place it directly in the oven, baking for 45 minutes instead of 30. You can use other variations too, such as grilled eggplant or grilled zucchini.
Enjoy your meal!
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- Perfect for a holiday meal: prepare it 1 or 2 days ahead and bake it right when you need it.
- 500 g brown rice
- 1 L tomato sauce (bottled or canned is fine)
- 250 g peas
- 450 g mozzarella
- 150 g Parmesan cheese (125 g for the rice + 25 g to sprinkle on top)
- 1 whole onion
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: 225 g seitan, plant-based deli slices, etc.