Sicilian Timballo

• Serves: 4 - 6
• Difficulty: medium
• Prep time: 1 hour
• Cooking time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients

For the tomato sauce
15 ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried basil
1 kg ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt
Pepper

For the rice
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2.5 ml thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups Spekko Long Grain Parboiled Rice
250 ml white wine
3 cups vegetable stock
75 g pecorino cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper

400 g mozzarella, grated
2 cups baby spinach, blanched and liquid squeezed out
10 g basil leaves
100 g pecorino

For the side
Rocket, cherry tomatoes, pecorino

Method

1. Make the tomato sauce by heating the olive oil in a pot over a low-medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and dried basil. Cook slowly until softened. About 10 minutes.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes and allow to cook further until the tomatoes are mashed and soft.
4. Blend the sauce until smooth, season with salt & pepper.
5. Heat the butter in a pot over a low heat. Add the onion, thyme and garlic. Cook slowly until softened. Add the rice and toast for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add the wine and allow to cook until almost completed reduced.
7. Add the tomato sauce and 2 cups vegetable stock. Allow to cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked and the liquid has reduced. Add more stock if necessary.
8. Remove from the heat and stir through the pecorino. Season to taste.
9. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease a 30 x 20 cm ovenproof dish.
10. Spread half of the rice mixture over the base of a ovenproof dish. Then sprinkle over the mozzarella, followed by the spinach and basil leaves. Spread over the remaining rice, and sprinkle over the pecorino.
11. Bake for 20 minutes, and serve with a fresh rocket, tomato and pecorino salad.