Cheesy Baked Rice with Peas and Speck

Name: Cheesy Baked Rice with Peas and Speck
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Carnaroli rice 2 cups; Peas 1.4 cups; Speck 7 oz; Smoked scamorza cheese 9 oz; Grana Padano PDO cheese 3.5 oz; Vegetable broth 4 ¼ cups; Breadcrumbs ½ cup; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 6
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Cheesy Baked Rice with Peas and Speck comes together around three things: sweet peas, smoky cured ham, and a molten, stringy cheese interior — filante — that pulls apart at the table. A golden crust of grated cheese and breadcrumbs seals the top, and the contrast between that crisp surface and the soft, yielding center underneath is what makes the dish worth coming back to. It works as a satisfying weeknight meal and holds up just as well on a Sunday table when you want something a little more generous without much extra effort.

The rice goes into the oven already cooked al dente — that partial pre-cook is what keeps it from going soft while the heat builds the crust and pulls the cheese into long, molten strands. Cooking the rice through in the oven would push it past the texture you want; stopping it short before baking gives the final dish its structure. The topping of grated cheese and breadcrumbs browns into a firm, golden layer that holds everything together, so the dish slices cleanly and holds its shape whether it goes straight from oven to table or rests for a few minutes first.

How to prepare Cheesy Baked Rice with Peas and Speck

To prepare the cheesy baked rice with peas and speck, first make the Vegetable broth and keep it warm. Then move on to the speck: cut it first into sticks 1 and then into cubes about 3/8 in (1 cm) 2. Do the same with the scamorza cheese 3 and set both aside.

Pour the rice into a hot saucepan 4 and toast it dry, adding a pinch of salt 5. Then begin to moisten it with the hot broth, one ladleful at a time 6.

Stir occasionally and cook for 15 minutes 7. The rice should be nicely al dente. After this time add the peas 8 and the speck cubes 9.

Now add the grated Grana Padano, keeping a little aside for the final crust 10. Also add the scamorza cheese 11, a pinch of black pepper and mix well 12.

Grease the baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, reserving a couple of tablespoons for the crust 13, and make sure they adhere well over the entire surface 14. Finally transfer the rice 15.

Level carefully 16 and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs 17 and the remaining grated cheese 18.

Ready for the oven 19: bake in a conventional oven (static) at 392F for 20 minutes, then switch to the grill (broiler) setting at 464F for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven 20 and let rest for 5 minutes. Your cheesy baked rice with peas and speck is ready to be enjoyed 21.

Storage

You can store the cheesy baked rice with peas and speck in the fridge for a couple of days.

You can also freeze it.

Tip

Want a cheese variation for your cheesy baked rice with peas and speck? Instead of scamorza try stronger flavors like caciocavallo. If you prefer a milder, creamier result, add some stracchino cheese to achieve extra creaminess when mixed in!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

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