Baked Rice with Eggplant

Baked rice with eggplant is a dish that combines typical elements of Italian cuisine in a tasty and substantial preparation. Here’s how to prepare it following the Italian tradition.

Ingredients

• 300 g of rice (preferably carnaroli or arborio)
• 2 medium eggplants
• 400 g of tomato passata
• 1 small onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 150 g of mozzarella (better if fiordilatte)
• 50 g of grated Parmesan
• Fresh basil to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Wash the eggplants, cut them into cubes and let them degorge with salt for about 30 minutes, then rinse and dry them.
3. In a pan, sauté the finely chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and after a few minutes the cubed eggplants.
4. Cook the eggplants until golden, then add the tomato passata and let cook for about 15-20 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper and add the chopped basil leaves.
5. Meanwhile, cook the rice in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
6. In a bowl, mix the rice with the prepared eggplant sauce, the mozzarella cut into cubes and half of the grated Parmesan.
7. Grease a baking dish with a little oil and transfer the mixture to the dish, leveling it with the back of a spoon.
8. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining grated Parmesan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the surface is golden and crispy.
9. Let it rest for a moment before serving.

Trivia

Baked rice with eggplant is a variation of the more famous eggplant parmigiana. This version with rice is particularly loved because it combines the comfort of risotto with the typical gratin of oven preparations, becoming a very rich and satisfying one-dish meal.