Rice Gratin Recipe with Vegetables

Ingredients to make Rice gratin with vegetables:

1. 250 grams of long grain rice
2. 500 grams of zucchini
3. 1 large onion unit
4. 2 garlic cloves
5. 1 unit of red pepper
6. 1 unit of green pepper
7. 4 units of large tomatoes
8. 200 grams of grated cheese to gratin (the one you like the most)
9. 1 pinch of oregano (optional)
10. 1 pinch of black pepper
11. 2 tablespoons of olive oil for the sauce
12. 1 pinch of salt
13. Butter to grease the baking dish

How to make Rice Gratin with Vegetables:

• We will start by cooking the rice. We put a pot with water, salt and oregano (optional) on the fire and when it starts to boil we add the rice. We will cook it until it is ready, approximately for 15 minutes depending on the brand of rice you use. Once ready, let it drain well and reserve.
• While the rice is being prepared, we will prepare the zucchini. Peel and wash well, cut into not very thick slices and put it in another pot to cook. Once it starts to boil, we will let it cook for 5 minutes, enough time since the zucchini cooks very quickly. Like the rice, let it drain well and reserve.
• Now we go with the rest of the vegetables. We will prepare them as we would to make the typical sauce, that is, we chop the garlic, wash, peel and cut the onion into small pieces, we do the same with the peppers, look at the photograph. In a large skillet add the minced garlic. When it starts to take on color, add the onion and let it sauté over medium heat, covering the pan. When the onion is transparent, add the peppers and let cook for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile we will prepare the tomatoes.
• To peel the tomatoes easily, we take a small saucepan and put water to boil. We will have to add enough water to cover a tomato. Separately, we prepare another saucepan with cold water. We make a cross cut at the base of each tomato and, once the water is boiling, we introduce it and let it cook for 20 seconds. After this time, remove the tomato and transfer it to the saucepan with cold water, leave it for 10 seconds. You will see how when you remove it the skin comes out practically alone. Chop and add to the previous sauce, add salt to taste and stir well. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200ºC and grease the baking dish where we are going to gratin the rice, both the base and the sides. Once we have the vegetables ready, we take a large bowl and mix the rice, zucchini, vegetables and 100 grams of grated cheese. We put it in the greased dish with butter, leaving for the end the 100 grams of grated cheese that we have left and baked.
• Bake the rice with vegetables for approximately 20 – 25 minutes at 200ºC until we see that the cheese is taking on color. And ready! As you can see, it is an easy and flavorful recipe, ideal for both adults and children. You can accompany it with a delicious grilled sea bass.