Oven baked rice

To prepare oven baked rice, start by dicing the fiordilatte mozzarella into 0.21 inch cubes approximately 1 and leave 2 or 3 slices for the final decoration. Place the cubes in a colander 2 and leave to one side for at least an hour, to drain the excess whey. Prepare the sauce in the meantime. Peel and finely chop the onion 3.

Add a drizzle of oil to the saucepan, followed by the onion 4; stir and sweat on a low flame for around 5 minutes. Soften the onion and then add the tomato puree 5; pour a little water to the emptied bottle to clean it and dilute the sauce. Add salt to taste 6 and leave to cook for at least 40 minutes.

Once the indicated cooking time is up, dilute the sauce with a little hot water if necessary, bring to the boil and add the rice 7. Cook for the length of time indicated on the packet (usually around 18 minutes) and stir frequently so that it does not stick to the pan. Remove from the heat 2-3 minutes before the end of the cooking time 8, add 2/3 of the diced fiordilatte cheese 9

and 2/3 of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano 10, a few hand-torn basil leaves 11 and lastly, pepper to taste 12.

Stir thoroughly 13 and place in a baking tray. Smooth the surface and sprinkle with the remaining fiordilatte cheese, the grated Parmigiano Reggiano 14 and a few basil leaves. Bake in a static oven preheated to 430°F (220°C) for around 15-20 minutes; if you want a crust to form on the surface then switch the oven to grill mode and leave the rice inside a few minutes longer. When ready, leave the oven baked rice to rest for 5 minutes before serving 15.