Pizzaiola style baked rice: the recipe for a delicious and stringy dish

Pizzaiola style baked rice is a rich and fast preparation with an exceptional Mediterranean flavor. This is the greedy and stringy variant of the classic tomato risotto; once boiled, our beloved cereal is seasoned with a very fragrant tomato sauce, sprinkled on the surface with mozzarella cheese bits, anchovies in oil and plenty of dried oregano, and then finally baked in the oven. The final result will be a dish that is soft on the inside and irresistibly golden on the surface, which will delight adults and children alike. A tasty idea for a fast dinner, suitable for the whole family and ready to solve the meal in an instant; serve it as a first course or main course, simply followed by a good side dish of vegetables and it will be a great success. You can also prepare this dish in advance, even the day before (the rest will make it even better), and only just warm it up before it is served. So let’s see how to prepare pizzaiola style baked rice without missing a single step.

How to make Pizzaiola style baked rice

In a saucepan fry the garlic with 2 tablespoons of oil, then add the tomato puree (1), add salt and a bit of pepper and cook the tomato sauce over medium heat until it will be thickened.

Meanwhile, bring plenty of lightly salted water to a boil, pour in the parboiled rice (2), cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Once cooked, drain the rice and let it cool.

When the tomato sauce will be thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat, add plenty of dried oregano (3) and then eliminate the garlic.

Pour the boiled rice into the tomato sauce (4) and season it well.

Grease a baking dish with a drizzle of oil and then sprinkle it with a bit of breadcrumbs (5).

Cut the mozzarella cheese bites in half (6).

Transfer the rice to the baking dish, compact it well and then cover the surface with the half bits of mozzarella cheese. Season with more dried oregano (7) and with a drizzle of oil, and bake at 220 degrees C for about 20 minutes.

When the surface of the rice will be golden brown, take it out of the oven, let it cool slightly and then serve (8).

How to store Pizzaiola style baked rice

The pizzaiola style baked rice can be preserved in the refrigerator, sealed on the surface with a sheet of cling film, for a maximum of 1-2 days.