1/2packagemushrooms,about 100 gramsor 4 oz (sliced)
2tbspolive oil
1/4cupwhite wine
450 gramscombined ground veal/beef/pork(1 lb)
720mltomato passata (24 oz)
1 1/2cupspeas,frozen
For the rice
2cupslong grain rice
tbspbutter
To assemble
butterfor greasing the casserole
1/4cupbreadcrumbs
1/2 cupcombined Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano cheesesplus 1 tbsp for top
Instructions
For the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Add the wine and cook stirring until it has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add the ground meat and cook stirring to break up the pieces until no longer pink.
Pour in the tomato passata, lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes with the lid loosely covering the pan.
After 30 minutes add the peas and continue cooking for 15 minutes longer. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
For the rice:
While the sauce is simmering, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan. Add salt, rice and cook covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the butter.
To assemble the dish:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 10"x14'"rectangular casserole and coat with 2 tbsp breadcrumbs.
In a large mixing bowl combine rice, sauce and 1/2 cup Parmigiano/pecorino cheese. Stir to combine.
Place the rice mixture in the prepared casserole and spread out evenly. Top with remaining 2 tbsp breadcrumbs and 1 tbsp Parmigiano/pecorino cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes. Preheat broiler and bake 3 minutes longer until lightly browned on top. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
This casserole can be prepared ahead of time. You can either cook the rice and meat sauce the day before and assemble and bake the day you're serving it.
Alternately, assemble the entire casserole the day before and simply bake before serving.
You can also freeze the casserole unbaked. Thaw by placing in the freezer the night before serving and bake for an extra 15-20 minutes. If the top becomes too dark or crispy, simply cover with foil until it is warmed through.
If you love your casserole extra cheesy, stir grated or cubed mozzarella into the rice mixture.
Please note that the nutritional information is approximate and may vary according to exact portion size and ingredients used.