Easy Baked Rice Pilaf Italian Style

This baked rice pilaf recipe Italian style is the perfect side dish for a dinner party. Made with the same ingredients as risotto, it can be combined with almost anything and it is quickly cooked in the oven in 20 minutes. You can enjoy your guests' company while the delicious dinner is cooking.

Jump to:

• When to make baked rice
• Why baked rice is a great side dish
• How to make the baked rice
• What to serve with baked rice
• Tips
• Recipes you might also like
• More side dishes for Sunday roast
• 📋Baked Rice Pilaf

When to make baked rice

Rice is a very versatile ingredient, it can be made in many different ways and it goes with everything, vegetables, meat or seafood. It is a perfect option for dinner parties especially if you have celiac guests.

Everyone love risotto but it has to be stirred while cooking, so it is not practical for dinner parties as you don't want to be in the kitchen while your guests have arrived.

I have seen and heard so many non-stirring risotto options, instant pot, pressure pan, but it just doesn't work for me: too similar to boiled rice.

As an alternative, I prefer to serve this baked rice recipe, it is made with the same risotto rice and uses the same ingredients and a similar principle. It can be the side dish of almost any main dish.

Why baked rice is a great side dish

The rice is first toasted in butter with onion. Once the grains are nicely toasted and sealed, it is cooked in the oven at very high temperature immersed in stock.

Because the grans are sealed, the rice doesn't absorb all the stock immediately so the grains will remain nicely firm.

If you want to make it creamier, mantecato, you can add some parmesan at the end.

How to make the baked rice

1. Stir fry the onion with the butter at very low heat, the onion should not burn.
2. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the rice and increase the heat.
3. The rice has to toast in the butter so that the grains are sealed.
4. Place it into a covered Pyrex or ceramic dish and add the warm stock
5. Cook it covered in a hot oven at 430 F - 220 C for 20 minutes.

What to serve with baked rice

As I mentioned before, this baked rice can be served with almost anything. If you serve it with a main dish that has a nice sauce, the rice will give a nice texture without overpowering it with flavour.

For example, it will go very well with the orange sauce of the Magret de Canard a l'Orange , or with the Italian chicken with peppers or the creamy chicken marsala.

Also a good companion to lamb ragu, fish pie or baked swordfish and for a vegan meal, it is perfect with the baked ratatouille.

When I made this video I served it with Daube Provencal.

Tips

• Use only the best quality Carnaroli rice, I recommend Riso Gallo the older Italian rice producers
• Toast the rice in butter until it becomes slightly brownish
• Use the exact quantities of rice vs stock, oven's time and temperature, it will be perfect each time

Recipes you might also like

For more rice recipes, check out the category: Rice

Also check the recipes below:

• Black Rice Recipe With Apple, Avocado And Carrots
• Italian Rice Stuffed Tomatoes
• Homemade Paella Seafood And Sausage
• The Perfect Whatever Risotto Recipe
• Vegetarian Rice Timbale with Grilled Eggplants Recipe
• Rice Arancini Recipe Gluten Free and Vegetarian
• Rice Balls Recipe

More side dishes for Sunday roast

For more side dishes recipes, check out the category: Side Dishes

Also check the recipes below:

• Gratin Dauphinoise Recipe
• Yorkshire Pudding
• Easy Chanterelle Recipe With Potato
• Light and Fluffy Italian Homemade Gnocchi

If you are making this Bake Rice Pilaf, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.