Baked rice with cheesy broccoli cream, a perfect main dish for any day of the week or even for Sunday lunch as it’s so good, and it’s made quickly too, trust me, it will be in the oven in 20 minutes and at most 15 minutes to melt the provola perfectly in the heart of the baked rice pie simply seasoned with broccoli cream and a bit of soppressata or Calabrian schiacciata. You can’t imagine how good the broccoli cream is, which I prepared by cooking the broccoli directly submerged in the pan in the simple Calabrian style with garlic and chili pepper that can never be missing from the base of the sauté, which I just lightly sauté without browning the garlic too much to avoid burning it. Sure, I also added the salami to enrich the dish a bit and make it a perfect one-course meal, but it’s not essential; it can also be prepared without it in an equally delicious vegetarian form. The other day I made the rice with pumpkin cream and cheese which you liked so much, and with this new recipe, I wanted to satisfy those who asked me for similar versions with other vegetables, so let’s see how to prepare it. Other recipes with broccoli or rice.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Baked Rice with Cheesy Broccoli Cream
- cup Roma rice (or Carnaroli)
- 1.1 lbs broccoli (gross weight)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 chili pepper
- to taste salt
- to taste olive oil
- 1.4 oz Calabrian schiacciata (cured salami)
- 3.5 oz provola cheese
- 1 teaspoon breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon parmesan cheese
- to taste ground red pepper
Tools to Prepare Baked Rice with Cheesy Broccoli Cream
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Pan
- 1 Casserole Dish
- 1 Knife
- 1 Immersion Blender
Steps to Prepare Baked Rice with Cheesy Broccoli Cream
First, clean the broccoli, or the broccoli head; in my case, it was one. Cut into florets, then cut the tender part of the stem to use it all. Cut the stem into pieces and peel it. Wash thoroughly under running water.
In a pan, add a drizzle of olive oil, add a sliced garlic clove, and also small pieces of chili pepper. Let it heat a little in the oil and then add the washed and dripping broccoli. Add a little salt, half a glass of water, cover, and cook for about 10-15 minutes with the lid on, on low heat.
At this point, also put on the water to cook the rice. We are not making a risotto but quickly cooking it in boiling and lightly salted water, al dente.
Meanwhile, prepare the provola cut into slices and the salami into small cubes, working on a cutting board.
When the broccoli is cooked, blend it with the immersion blender, with 2-3 ladles of rice cooking water, to obtain a nice cream, not too thick.
Drain the rice al dente and season with the broccoli cream, add the salami, and mix well.
Grease a baking dish with olive oil, distribute half of the rice with broccoli cream inside, spread it well over the entire surface, and fill with the provola. Close with the remaining rice, level it. Now add some little broccoli florets we had set aside for decoration, then sprinkle with a little breadcrumbs and some parmesan, and a bit of ground red pepper. Spritz with olive oil and bake in a preheated oven at 392°F (200°C) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy our delicious baked rice with broccoli cream melted from the heart and made even more delicious by the salami.
Can be kept in the fridge if there are leftovers. Instead of salami, fresh sausage crumbled and sautéed in a pan can be added. Smoked provola can also be used instead of provola.
Can be kept in the fridge if there are leftovers. Instead of salami, fresh sausage crumbled and sautéed in a pan can be added. Smoked provola can also be used instead of provola.
