How to transform an everyday classic into a valuable dish through the choice of quality ingredients.
Ingredients (for 4 people)
350 g of semi-finished Carnaroli rice Marello Mill
Organic tomato puree to taste
20-30 fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp of pine nuts (or almonds)
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the semi-finished Carnaroli rice.
While the rice cooks, prepare the basil cream: blend the washed basil leaves together with the pine nuts (or almonds) and the oil, until you obtain a fluid and very fragrant consistency.
Lightly heat the tomato puree in a saucepan.
Drain the rice and season generously with the warm puree.
Plate and complete each dish with the homemade basil cream. The contrast between the red of the tomato and the bright green of the basil is already a feast for the eyes.
We often think that to impress at the table you need trendy ingredients or endless preparations. The truth is that the true value of a dish lies in its quality of the raw material. A simple rice with tomato, if prepared with care and selected ingredients, can become a manifesto of well-being and love for the territory.
This recipe is "never again without": loved by children, perfect in every season and incredibly light. But to make it shine, we need to look beyond the supermarket shelf.
Forget industrial white rice, often too refined and lacking that vital "jolt" we need. For this recipe, in fact, I chose the Carnaroli rice from Mulino Marello, a Piedmontese excellence from certified seed. Many fear brown rice due to its cooking times, but the semi-finished it is the perfect solution: it keeps the nutritional properties and authentic flavor of the grain intact, but is cooked in a short time. Just enough time to prepare a nice salad to open the meal in a balanced way.
Whether puree or pulp, however the tomato the choice must fall on organic or on a trusted farm. Avoiding cheap cans is not just a choice of taste, but of health.
Finally the pesto, the industrial one often hides preservatives and low quality oils. Creating your own basil cream currently takes just a few minutes, but it gives the dish a freshness and aroma that completely changes the tasting experience.
Eating well is not a restriction, but an opportunity to take care of ourselves.
Recipe by Dr. Isabella Vendrame, veg naturopath, food coach, doctor of psychology.
