White Rice Sartù with Cold Cuts and Cheeses
The rice sartù is an ancient typical Neapolitan dish, dating back to the 1700s when Ferdinand I of Bourbon, king of the Two Sicilies, reigned.
In practice, the sartù is a rice timballo with a very rich filling and is a sumptuous dish that makes a great impression on the table during important holidays and occasions.
The rice sartù is a sumptuous and appetizing dish, with a stringy filling rich in béchamel, cold cuts, and cheeses, very impressive, it is ideal to prepare for Sunday lunch or for important occasions and holidays (Christmas, Easter, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, etc.) and it is also convenient because it can be prepared a day in advance.
An unmissable recipe that always enjoys great success!
If you love casseroles and timballos, I recommend also trying this “Tagliolini Pie… by Laura Ravaioli” or my infallible:”Tagliolini Tart with Fontina and Peas“.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for the White Rice Sartù with Cold Cuts and Cheeses
- 2.2 lbs Rice (Carnaroli)
- 1 qt Béchamel
- 2.8 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
- 2 Eggs (small)
- 5.3 oz Cooked Ham (sliced)
- 3.5 oz Neapolitan Salami (sliced)
- 3.5 oz Emmental
- 5.3 oz Fiordilatte
- 3.5 oz Fontina
- 3.5 oz Scamorza (or Provola)
- 4.2 oz Butter
- as needed Breadcrumbs (for the mold)
- as needed Pepper (optional)
- as needed Salt
- as needed Butter (to grease the mold and for the sartù surface)
Tools for the White Rice Sartù with Cold Cuts and Cheeses
- Bowls set of Guzzini bowls of various sizes
- Pot
- Cutting Board with two built-in trays for waste
- Mezzaluna sharp, with double blade
- Mold springform non-stick, 28 cm diameter
Preparation of the White Rice Sartù with Cold Cuts and Cheeses
Prepare one quart of béchamel sauce, following my infallible béchamel recipe, you can also prepare it the day before or buy it ready-made if you have little time.
Cut all the cheeses into cubes and the cold cuts into pieces and add them to the béchamel when it has cooled.
The amount of béchamel provided for this recipe is one quart, BUT if you wish, you can also use 750 g, but keep in mind that the cold cuts and cheeses are many, so even with one quart of béchamel the filling is dense and won’t be liquid.Boil the rice in salted boiling water and drain it very al dente (I cooked for 10 minutes), season it immediately while it’s still hot with the 120 g of butter, the 80 g of Parmigiano, and the pepper, and when it is warm, also add the eggs (one will be enough if medium-sized), mixing everything gently.
Take a mold (preferably springform) of 11/12 inches in diameter, grease it well with butter and then sprinkle inside with breadcrumbs, making it adhere both on the bottom and the walls.
Pour the rice, distributing it well on the bottom and all the walls of the pan (preferably with wet hands to level the rice well) reserving some rice for the covering.
You need to create a kind of box with a space in the center to accommodate the béchamel, cold cuts, and cheese mixture.When the “shell” is ready, insert inside all the béchamel seasoned with cold cuts and cheeses, and cover with the remaining rice, compacting the surface well.
I made a double breading: I leveled the surface with oiled hands (or you can also brush the entire surface with melted butter) then sprinkled everything with breadcrumbs and finally added butter flakes on the breadcrumbs and sprinkled again with breadcrumbs.
Bake the sartù in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 30/35 minutes, it should be nicely golden on the surface.
Remove the timballo from the oven BUT do not unmold it immediately, wait at least 10/15 minutes otherwise it will break, then run a knife between the edges and unhook the edge of the pan (if you used a pan with a detachable edge) or place a large plate on top of the pan and flip it gently.
This wonderful white rice sartù with cold cuts and cheeses is so rich that, if you don’t have guests, it can also be a single dish.
Notes and Tips
Please DO NOT use a mold smaller than 11/12 inches in diameter because otherwise the filling won’t distribute evenly throughout the sartù and will be too full in the center.
Shopping Tips!!!
Very convenient this cutting board with two built-in side trays: one for sliced foods, the other for waste.
Highly recommended also this very sharp mezzaluna, with double blade.
Non-stick round pan with removable base, 28 cm diameter, exceptional! You can buy it on Amazon.
Why is it called Rice Sartù?
The word “sartù” derives from Neapolitan dialect, more precisely from the term “sour tout” which means “cover all“. In this case, it could refer to the breadcrumbs that cover the timballo or the rice that covers the filling, surtout though is also the name of an elegant centerpiece.
History and origins of Neapolitan Rice Sartù?
This Neapolitan delicacy was born in the ‘700s, when French chefs (the “Monsù”) at the Bourbon court tried to make rice (then considered food for the sick) more palatable by hiding it under flavorful ingredients and indeed, a breadcrumb covering to “hide it” from the king.
