Tomato rice is one of those dishes that make you feel at home. They help you when you don't know what to prepare and are always a good idea to pamper your family and entertain your friends. Even in summer. When the dish is served cold and can turn into an appetizer or side dish or into a simple (and tasty) alternative to the classic rice salad.

The basic recipe, first course

To prepare a fresh cold tomato rice, boil the rice in a pan of boiling salted water. Meanwhile, sauté some Tropea onion, then let it dry with a few tablespoons of rice cooking water. When it is soft, add the fresh blanched tomatoes without any skin or seeds. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the rice, let it cool and mix well with the tomato sauce.

The light recipe, side dish

If you want to lighten this preparation, focus on brown rice. You will cook it when it is still al dente. While it becomes lukewarm, you will prepare a mixture of red, yellow and green tomatoes without seeds and cut into small cubes. Season with a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and mix them adding fresh basil leaves. If served in small portions, it can become the perfect accompaniment for grilled meats and fish.

Crunchy recipe, appetizer

If you love timbales and rice pies, you will also like them in cold tomato rice. To prepare them you will have to follow the basic recipe without worrying about letting the rice cool too much and draining it a couple of minutes before. When you have mixed it with the sauce, you will place it in small cylindrical coppapasta molds and complete with a sprinkling of grated cheese. Bake at 180 ° C for 10 minutes, take out of the oven and leave to cool. It can be served as an appetizer, perhaps accompanied by a tuft of buffalo ricotta.

What if he goes forward?

In this case the answer is only one: supplì!

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