Nutty + nutty. This black rice salad pairs the insanely aromatic Crespi Riso Nero with the queen of hazelnuts Nocciole di Alta Langa. You can change up the roasted vegetables, or even omit the burrata. But make sure you abundantly drizzle EVOO on top to make all the flavors shine.
Black rice is Italian wholegrain rice at its best. It’s minimally processed, it has so much more to offer in terms of nutrition than “regular” rice, it’s a good source of protein, zinc, iron, calcium, selenium, and manganese. Plus, its fragrance reminiscent of freshly baked bread is irresistible.
You can roast the vegetables and cook the rice well ahead of time. There’s no need for them to be warm when it comes time to eat.
Ingredients
TIME: 1 hour
SERVES: 4
- Butternut squash, or similar, 1 lb / 450g, peeled and cubed
- Whole shallots, 8-10
- Carrots, 1 lb / 450g, peeled and cubed (or scrubbed and left whole if small)
- Black rice, 2 cups / 400g
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Spinach, 5oz / 150g, washed and dried
- Toasted hazelnuts, 20g/ 1/4 cup, coarsely chopped
- Fresh Burrata, 2 balls
- Mixed herbs (parsley, basil, dill), 1/2 cup, coarsely chopped
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- Fiore di Sale, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Place the squash, carrots, and shallots in roasting trays (keep the squash separate from the carrot and shallots, they likely won’t need as long to cook.) Drizzle the vegetables with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with fine sea salt. Roast for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. When the shallots are cool enough to handle, remove their papery skins.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Place in a pot with 4 cups/950ml water and a handful of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cook for 35-45 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.
- To assemble the salad, create a bed of spinach on a large serving platter (or on individual bowls). Cover with the black rice, then arrange the roasted vegetables on top. Dot with chunks of burrata, roughly torn with your hands, then scatter with the chopped hazelnuts and herbs. Drizzle with extra virign olive oil and crunchy fiore di sale to serve.
