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Italian Cuisine Expert and Food Blogger
Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli, the mastermind behind Nonna Box, has honed his culinary expertise for decades, inspired by family feasts in Emilia-Romagna. Mentored by his restaurateur nonna, he mastered Italian classics and furthered his skills with professional culinary studies in desserts and gelato making from Mec3. Today, he shares this rich legacy and authentic recipes through Nonna Box.
Risotto doesn’t have to be difficult to make! Throw this risotto cake–which is more like a creamy casserole–into the oven while you work on other things, like making a tossed salad or reading a good book. Oven-roasted tomatoes and sauteed onions add wonderful flavor to the dish, while a fair amount of mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano truly act as the icing on the cake.
Risotto is everyone’s favorite Italian rice dish, but most think it’s too difficult and time-consuming to make. Instead of needing to be constantly stirred on the stove top for 30 minutes, this recipe is baked, which eliminates the hard work of making risotto. Nonna taught me this trick when we had our restaurant in Italy.
The arborio rice bakes to al dente but still has the creaminess of traditional risotto recipes. With the addition of tomatoes, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and panko breadcrumbs, you get creamy and crunchy in every bite. It is a great recipe to make for a dinner party, since you can prepare it in advance and pop it in the oven to bake when your guests arrive.
Buon Appetito!