Rice timbale: a delicious dish for all occasions

Rice Timbale: a unique dish that can be prepared in many variations, mainly baked in the oven; it’s perfect for Sunday lunch or an informal dinner. It is an extremely versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, as a first course, or even as a main course.

Rich and flavorful, the rice timbale can be prepared in many ways, with different fillings and various sauces for seasoning. It can also be made with leftovers from the day before: it’s an ideal dish for “cleaning out the fridge” before foods expire. You can unleash your creativity using a variety of ingredients: vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, and much more.

Rice Timbale: How to Make It

The rice timbale is a typical dish of Italian cuisine made with rice and other delicious ingredients like cheeses or cured meats. You can use leftover rice from the previous day, or with the more classic recipe, cook the most suitable rice type, which is Carnaroli.

Preparing the rice timbale is simple: just cook the rice in boiling water, drain it, and let it cool in a large bowl, but you can also cook it like a risotto with sautéed onion and vegetable broth. It’s best to cook the rice al dente, as it will continue cooking with the other ingredients. After choosing the seasoning, grease the baking dish with butter. Mix the rice with the ingredients, add salt and pepper, and pour the seasoned rice into the baking dish.

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Rice Timbale: Tips for Preparation

Rice Timbale: here are some tips for a perfect preparation that suits all tastes. To prepare an excellent rice timbale, you need to choose the right rice. The best type is undoubtedly Carnaroli, but other types of superfine rice like Roma and Arborio will also work.

If during the resting period the rice dries out too much, you can add milk to hydrate it and separate the grains again. Eggs and breadcrumbs play a crucial role in the preparation. Eggs provide better consistency to the mixture, while breadcrumbs are essential for browning the surface of the timbale; therefore, it's best to sprinkle a layer before baking the mixture.

Baked Rice Timbale: How to Prepare It

Baked rice timbale is the most classic preparation of this dish. In fact, this cooking method is perfect for achieving a crispy surface and a soft interior. Cooking times vary based on the height of the timbale: on average, ten minutes at 200 degrees is recommended. The cooking changes if you prefer a rice timbale in puff pastry: in this case, about thirty minutes at 200 degrees will be needed. When the filling consists of gooey cheeses, a few more minutes might be necessary. To ensure it’s cooked perfectly, try baking the timbale for ten minutes and then keep it warm in the turned-off oven before serving.

Rice Timbale Recipe: Also in a Pan

Rice timbale recipe: there is also a delicious pan version of this flavorful recipe. It is quick to prepare and very tasty, adding the ingredients to the rice to fry in the pan until crispy, somewhat like a pasta frittata.

It’s undoubtedly a quick and informal recipe, which is perfect for using up leftovers from the previous day. Just add your favorite ingredients to the rice: sauce, meat ragù, or cheeses, and you’ll get a delicious and crispy rice timbale in a pan.

Rice Timbale with Eggplants: the Recipe

Rice timbale with eggplants: if you prefer a timbale with vegetables, eggplants are perfect for a great timbale. In reality, you can use many types of vegetables: broccoli, peppers, artichokes, spinach, and mushrooms. Just add three tablespoons of your favorite diced cheeses and cured meats, add the eggplants, layer everything in the baking dish, and bake in the oven.

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Sicilian-Style Rice Timbale

Sicilian-style rice timbale: a classic recipe to serve on Sundays. Here, eggplant is the absolute star. You will also need meat ragù, provola cheese, peas, grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, extra virgin olive oil, and oil for frying the eggplants. After cooking the vegetables, cook the rice al dente and let it cool. Prepare the provola in cubes and combine them with the rice, adding the ragù, peas, and grated cheese. Grease the baking dish and pour in the ingredients, forming layers. Finally, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper, and a drizzle of oil. Bake for about 15 minutes at 200 degrees, then take it out and let it cool slightly.

Rice Timbale with Peas: the Recipe

Rice timbale with peas: the most loved by children. The recipe also includes the use of diced cooked ham, to add that extra flavor that delights all palates. This dish is also ideal as an appetizer, or sliced, it’s convenient to take away for a picnic with friends.

White Rice Timbale

The white rice timbale is prepared with rice, without using a red sauce. It can be made with various types of melting cheeses like scamorza, fontina, mozzarella, grated Parmesan, or pecorino. For those who love milder flavors, ricotta or soft cheese can be added.

You can also add cured meats or cold cuts to the white rice timbale, like diced cooked ham, salami, mortadella, or speck. You can also prepare a great white rice timbale with fish, using salmon, ricotta, cream, and grated Parmesan.

Rice Timbale: a delightful unique dish, with a thousand tasty variations all to try!

Antonella Iannò

S&M