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Sartù di riso

17/11/2023

The sartù di riso is a traditional Neapolitan dish that is quite elaborate and rich. It is a rice timbale enriched with various types of meat, peas, cheese, and eggs, and baked in the oven. Below are the ingredients and instructions for preparing sartù di riso.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of risotto rice
  • 150 g of fresh or frozen peas
  • 150 g of small meatballs made of beef or mixed meats
  • 100 g of smoked provola or mozzarella
  • 3 eggs
  • 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 500 ml of Neapolitan ragù
  • 100 g of mushrooms (optional)
  • 50 g of chicken livers (optional)
  • 30 g of butter
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil

For the Neapolitan ragù:

  • 500 g of mixed meats (sausage, pork chops, pork rib)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 800 g of tomato passata
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Red wine (to deglaze the meat)

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the Neapolitan ragù. In a pot, sauté finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery with a drizzle of oil. Add the meat and let it brown. Deglaze with a bit of red wine and let it evaporate. Then add the tomato passata and cook on a low flame for at least 2 hours. Season with salt.

  2. Meanwhile, cook the rice in plenty of salted water for about half the time indicated on the package. It should be very al dente because it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the rice and season it with a bit of ragù and grated Parmesan cheese.

  3. In a frying pan, cook the meatballs, peas, mushroom pieces, and optionally the chicken livers. You can add them to the ragù or set them aside to layer in the timbale.

  4. Take an ovenproof dish (preferably a ring mold) and grease the bottom with oil and butter. Sprinkle breadcrumbs all over the surface.

  5. Make a layer of rice on the bottom, add a layer of ragù, one of meatballs, peas, and mushrooms, and cubes of smoked provola.

  6. Break the eggs and beat them, then pour part of them over the surface to bind everything together. Continue with the layers until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a layer of rice.

  7. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and let it gratinate for another 10 minutes until the surface is golden brown.

  8. Let the sartù rest for a few minutes before flipping it onto a serving plate. Serve hot.

Curiosity

The sartù di riso originated in the 18th-century Neapolitan aristocratic families, where French chefs called “Monsù” prepared dishes from their homeland using local ingredients. The name “sartù” comes from a Neapolitan deformation of “surtout,” which in French means “above all”. Considered for centuries a dish for special occasions, the sartù is a perfect example of the fusion between French and Neapolitan cuisines.

Sartù di riso