Italian Fried Rice | Rachael Ray
"This is kind of a lazy dinner," says Rach. "We're making fried rice, but we're putting an Italian spin on it." She combines the grains with Italian sweet sausage, peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella and Parm and garnishes the dish with fresh basil. Her Italian-style fried rice comes together as quickly and easily as Asian-style fried rice—and is just as tasty. Rach calls it a "cheesy, hot, gorgeous mess." Mangia!
For more fried rice inspiration from Rach, check out her Sausage, Bacon and Egg Fried Rice and Kimchi Fried Rice.
- 4 to 5 cups cold cooked short grain rice (1 ½ cups raw rice cooked in 4 cups bone broth and 1 cup water; cool completely on tray or overnight in fridge and then fluff/separate with fork)
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound Italian sweet sausage with fennel
- 1 red chili pepper, chopped
- 1 red sweet pepper, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chopped fresh peeled tomato, cherry tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tub small bites mozzarella pearls, drained, or 1 ball mozzarella, diced
- ½ cup grated Parm or pecorino cheese
- Fresh basil, finely chopped, for garnish
To fry rice, heat 4 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet or a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion and stir 2 minutes. Add garlic and cold rice, season with salt and pepper and crisp the rice 7 to 8 minutes until lightly golden brown at edges, then remove. Add remaining oil and brown and crumble sausage 3 to 4 minutes. Add the peppers, leek, oregano, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, then add wine and let it absorb. Add the rice back and combine. Add cheeses and basil and serve.