Riso al Forno Colorato - Baked Rice

There are different varieties of rices in Italy, suitable for different dishes. The most famous is the rice for risotto (Carnaroli, Arborio, Vialone Nano). However, in this recipe, I suggest using the long rice, which doesn't contain starch and once cooked, the grains remain separated.

Riso al Forno Colorato - Baked Rice

300 g long rice
1 large red onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Chilli
6 anchovy fillets in oil
500 g red and yellow peppers, diced
400 g vine tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium aubergine, diced
60 g black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon oregano
A good handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A good handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons homemade breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons pine nuts
200 g mozzarella, diced 
Sea salt
Extra virgin oil

Serves 5 to 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 70 minutes

1. Quarter the peppers and remove cores, seeds and ribs. Cut lengthways into strips and chop.
2. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt on low heat until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic, chilli and anchovies. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the anchovies have dissolved. Mix in the peppers and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Include the tomatoes and leave to a simmer for 40 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. 
3. In a pan, sauté the aubergine with a pinch of salt in one tablespoon of oil for 8-10 minutes, on high heat, until just golden. Stir frequently. 
4. Add the aubergine to the peppers along with olives, parsley, mint and oregano. 
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
6. In a pan, cook the rice in plenty of boiling salted water for 8 minutes. Drain very al dente. 
7. Grease an oven dish (30x20cm) with oil, dress the rice with the pepper sauce and toss to coat. Place in the oven dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pine nuts. Bake for 15 minutes. 
8. Remove from the oven and dot with mozzarella, which will melt without cooking. Serve hot.