Peperonata with Rice and Mushroom / Peperonata con Riso e Funghi

Peperonata con Riso e Funghi

Peperonata with Rice and Mushroom

Peperonata con Riso e Funghi

Adapted from the books: “Italian Vegetables – delicious recipes for starters and side dishes.” By Maxine Clark and “Italia, the recipes and customs of the regions” by Antonio Carluccio.

Peperonata is a traditional stew of onions, sweet peppers and tomatoes and is popular in the southern regions of Italian. It is a wonderfully colourful and supremely versatile vegetarian dish that makes a great addition to a selection of antipasti. It can be served hot or at room temperature.

Peperonata makes an excellent side dish or served with rice. However, this recipe is slightly different, whereby you cook the peppers without the tomato sauce and bake them with cooked rice, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 350g Arborio long-grain rice
• 75ml of good olive oil for cooking
• 800g mixed red and yellow peppers, finely sliced into strips and white flesh and seeds removed
• handful of basil leaves cut in half
• handful of flat leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly cut
• 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled and chopped in half
• 80g pitted green and black olives
• 400g of fresh plum cherry tomatoes cut in half (preferred) OR 1 x 400gm can of peeled Italian cherry tomatoes
• 1.1 l of vegetable stock
• 500g chestnut mushrooms, stalks removed, brushed clean and sliced thinly
• 30g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 150g Dolcelatte Mild Blue Cheese sliced
• 50g grated vegetarian pecorino cheese
• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• Ground sea salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 and grease an ovenproof dish or roasting tin with a bit of butter.
2. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil and add the rice and cook according to the packet. Stir through and gently boil for about 16 minutes, stirring frequently and taste. The rice should be soft to the bite.
3. While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan and stir in the peppers and olives, season with salt and pepper, and add the basil leaves. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and tender, stirring from time to time.
4. Drain the cooked rice, and quickly tip it into the prepared ovenproof dish. Spread it evenly and stir in the butter and the grated vegetarian pecorino cheese until it melts throughout the rice. Add the peppers and olives and stir them through the rice.  Cover and set aside.
5. Pour 4 tbsp of olive oil into a pan and add the garlic. Stir and heat the pan on a slow heat for 2 minutes then add the onion. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally then remove the garlic. Add the mushrooms and stir gently but thoroughly. Cook the mushroom / onion mixture on a slow heat for 10 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste and stir often. 
6. Add the cherry tomatoes to the mushrooms and stir gently. Cook slowly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Spoon the tomatoes and mushrooms over the rice and spread to cover the top. Place the sliced dolcelatte on top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
8. Bake in the pre-heated oven on the middle shelf for about 15 minutes and finish off under a hot grill until the cheese has melted.
9. Remove, garnish with the flat leaf parsley and serve into warmed bowls.

Produced by John Fletcher at http://www.johnstastesofitaly.com