This is a fun kind of giant rice-ball-cake with a really delicious sausage filling. Can’t turn that down!Ingredients:

• kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound Italian pork sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
• 3 to 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups grated asiago cheese
• 2 ounces deli-sliced provolone cheese

Boil a large pot of water with a pinch of kosher salt. Add the rice, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the rice is tender, 12-15 minutes. Strain the rice, then spread out over a jelly roll pan to cool quickly.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. We had some sausage from the farmers market that was quite good!

Tear the basil leaves into pieces and add, followed by the garlic and tomato paste. Raise the heat to high, and cook until the tomato paste browns, about 4 minutes.

Add the broth, stirring it in and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15-20 minutes. During that time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Grease an 8″ or 9″ springform pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter, then coat with the breadcrumbs.

Put the eggs and all but 3 tablespoons of the asiago in a small bowl and beat together. Put the cooled rice in a large bowl and stir the cheese-egg mixture into it until evenly combined.

Pat about 2/3 of the rice mixture into the springform, forming it into a 1/2″ thick layer on the bottom and up the sides. Cover the bottom of the rice-lined pan with the provolone slices.

When the sausage mixture is thickened, pour it over the provolone, filling it to about 1/2″ from the top of the rice walls. If you use a 9″ pan, you probably won’t have any extra, if you use an 8″ dish, just serve the extra on the side later.

Sprinkle/pat the remaining rice mixture on top to seal, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of that.

I used a bit of extra cheese.

Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes, then gently remove the sides of the pan and slice.

Holds together nicely!

You could in theory use a large spatula to transfer it to a serving platter, but.. pshaw extra dishes!

Sausage and Rice Timbale

Lightly adapted from Food Network.

• kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound Italian pork sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
• 3 to 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups grated asiago cheese
• 2 ounces deli-sliced provolone cheese

Boil a large pot of water with a pinch of kosher salt. Add the rice, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the rice is tender, 12-15 minutes. Strain the rice, then spread out over a jelly roll pan to cool quickly.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Tear the basil leaves into pieces and add, followed by the garlic and tomato paste. Raise the heat to high, and cook until the tomato paste browns, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, stirring it in and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15-20 minutes. During that time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Grease an 8″ or 9″ springform pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter, then coat with the breadcrumbs.

Put the eggs and all but 3 tablespoons of the asiago in a small bowl and beat together. Put the cooled rice in a large bowl and stir the cheese-egg mixture into it until evenly combined. Pat about 2/3 of the rice mixture into the springform, forming it into a 1/2″ thick layer on the bottom and up the sides. Cover the bottom of the rice-lined pan with the provolone slices.

When the sausage mixture is thickened, pour it over the provolone, filling it to about 1/2″ from the top of the rice walls.

Sprinkle/pat the remaining rice mixture on top to seal, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of that. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes, then gently remove the sides of the pan and serve with any extra sausage filling on the side.