Mediterranean Vegetable Rice is such a quick and simple dinner recipe. I use the same pan to make this dish which cuts down on the number of pots and pans I need to wash up. I serve this rice dish with tapenade which I make by destoning and finely chopping olives. I mix the olives with vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
It couldn’t be easier to make either. Simply start by cooking the rice in the roasting dish. As the rice cooks, peel a red onion and slice it along with the courgette and the tomatoes. Spoon the pesto over the rice in areas and start layering up vegetables from the outside in, starting with the onions, followed by a layer of overlapping courgettes. Next add a layer of tomatoes. Repeat the layers moving nearer the center of the dish each time until the whole surface is covered. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Grill on the middle shelf until beautifully gratinated.
To make Mediterranean Vegetable Rice, you will need the following ingredients:
Place 300 grams of basmati rice into a 14-inch roasting pan. Pour 650 milliliters of boiling salted water over the rice. Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat once cooked.
Preheat the grill to high.
Peel the red onion. Slice very finely using a mandolin or a knife. Next, slice the courgette and tomatoes into very thin rounds.
Drop spoonfuls of pesto over the top of the rice.
Start covering the rice with vegetables. Begin with onion around the outer edge of the pan, then move on to a layer of overlapping zucchini. Next, add a layer of tomatoes. Repeat the layers, moving closer to the center each time until you’ve covered the whole surface.
Drizzle the dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper.
Broil the rice bake on the middle shelf for about 15-20 minutes.
Destone 8 black olives and chop them very finely before mixing with ½ a tablespoon each of vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
Serve topped with tapenade and basil leaves and tear ½ a ball of mozzarella cheese over the top.
This Mediterranean Vegetable Rice couldn’t be easier to make. It is a one pan vegetarian dinner. Come back to leave a comment below if you make this delicious rice bake.
