If you’re looking for a first course that combines the creaminess of a risotto with the irresistible texture of a golden gratin, Melty baked rice with zucchini and carrots is exactly what you need. It’s not the usual timbale: here the sweetness of the grated zucchini and the carrots blends with the character of fontina and stracchino, creating a soft center that delights with every bite. Making this baked rice is a smart way to bring vegetables to the table in a tasty way, solving a family lunch or a dinner with friends with elegance. Follow my tips to get a creamy interior and a super-crunchy surface!
If you like baked rice recipes try the melty baked rice or the boscaiola-style baked rice. Also delicious is Parmesan-style baked rice or baked rice and potatoes.
Let’s get to work and prepare baked rice with zucchini and fontina together.
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OTHER RICE RECIPES
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Autumn
Ingredients for your Melty baked rice
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 2 zucchini
- 1 carrot
- Half onion
- 4 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- to taste salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp stracchino cheese
- 3.5 oz fontina
- to taste chives
Tools
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- Frying Pan
- Baking Dish
- Grater
Steps to prepare Melty baked rice
Start by finely chopping or grating the half onion, then gently soften it in a large pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Meanwhile, wash and clean the zucchini and the carrot, then grate both using a coarse side of a grater: this will allow the vegetables to cook evenly and blend perfectly with the rice grains. Add the vegetables to the onion, season with salt and let them soften for a few minutes over medium heat.
Pour the rice into the pan with the vegetables and let it toast for a couple of minutes, stirring often until the grains look glossy. Start adding the very hot vegetable broth, one ladle at a time, as it is absorbed. Continue cooking for about 7-8 minutes: the secret for perfect baked rice is to stop cooking when the rice is still very al dente and purposely rather brothy, because it will finish cooking and dry out in the oven.
Remove the pan from the heat and proceed with cold creaming. Add the stracchino, the fontina cut into small pieces and the finely chopped chives. Stir carefully until the cheeses just begin to melt, releasing their aroma; taste and, if necessary, finish with a pinch of pepper and salt. The presence of stracchino will ensure your vegetarian first course never dries out after the oven step.
Take a baking dish, brush it generously with oil and sprinkle the bottom with some breadcrumbs. Pour the rice into it and level the surface with the back of a spoon. To get that much-loved crunchy crust, sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and finish with a final drizzle of oil. Bake in a preheated convection oven at 392°F for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when the surface is evenly golden and the cheese inside has become deliciously melty.
Tips for a perfect result
Resting: Once out of the oven, let your baked rice rest for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the flavors to settle and the texture to become perfect for portioning.
Hot broth: Always use very hot vegetable broth so as not to interrupt the rice’s cooking in the pan, thus preserving the grain’s starch.
Quality cheeses: Fontina can be replaced with provola or asiago; the important thing is to choose a cheese that melts well to ensure the gooey effect.
Delicious variations you can try
Extra crunchy note: Add a handful of pine nuts or chopped walnuts to the surface before baking for an even more marked contrast of textures.
A touch of saffron: Dissolve a sachet of saffron in the broth to give your baked rice with zucchini a golden color and a more intense aroma.
Lactose-free: You can use lactose-free stracchino and stretched-curd cheeses to make this dish suitable for everyone while keeping the same deliciousness.
Storage and suggestions
In the fridge: The rice keeps very well for 2 days in an airtight container. You can reheat it in the oven or in a pan with a splash of water or milk to restore creaminess.
Warm or at room temperature: This dish is versatile; it’s delicious piping hot with melty cheese, but it’s also tasty lukewarm, ideal for a buffet or an outdoor lunch.
Meal prep: You can prepare the rice and vegetables base in advance, put it in the baking dish and bake only when needed to save time.
Now it’s your turn!
Melty baked rice with zucchini and carrots is the recipe that satisfies the desire for comfort food and the need for a balanced dish. It’s simple, colorful and very fragrant thanks to the chives. Make it for your next dinner and you’ll see the dish disappear in no time! And you, which cheese do you prefer to make your dishes truly irresistible? Tell me in the comments, I’m curious to read your favorite variations!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which variety of rice is most suitable?
For this preparation I recommend Carnaroli: it holds up well to the double cooking (pan and oven) without overcooking, remaining separate but creamy.
Can I omit the onion?
Certainly! If you don’t like the taste of onion, you can replace it with leek or simply sauté the vegetables with a clove of garlic that you will then remove.
Why should the rice be left brothy before the oven?
The rice continues to absorb liquids during baking. If you put it in the dish already dry, the final result would be too compact and dry instead of melty and creamy.
