Italian Rice Bake

Italian Rice Bake

Recipe courtesy of; ‘How I’ve Kept the Weight Off’ by Anna Van Dyken, Published by Macmillan, RRP $39.99, Photography by Jeremy Simons

This is a great comfort bake that’s filling, tasty and freezes well. I often make two at a time – one to eat and one to freeze, to save me time during the week when I feel like a night off from cooking.

Serves 6 | Prep 15min | Cook 55mins

Ingredients

500 g lean pork mince
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 cup (200 g) arborio rice
400 g can diced tomatoes
1 1⁄2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
2 cups (500 ml) beef stock
1 cup (120 g) grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly spray a large non- stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium–high heat. Cook mince, onion and garlic, stirring to break up lumps, until mince is evenly browned.

2. Stir in rice, tomatoes, vinegar, tomato paste, herbs and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Transfer mixture into an ovenproof dish (2.6 litre capacity). Sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until evenly browned.

Anna’s tips

  • Pork mince can be replaced with lean pork and veal mince, if preferred.
  • Serve with a green leafy salad on the side.