Ingredients :
400g of Italian rice suitable for salads
A bunch of fresh basil
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
A dash of salt and pepper
Boil the rice in a large pan of water with a little salt – about 10-12 minutes.
Tip the boiled rice into a sieve and run cold water so the rice doesn’t continue to cook
Dry the rice on a kitchen towel to get rid of excess moisture.
Chop the fresh basil
Put the rice into a bowl , add the chopped basil , lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and mix it well.
Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.
Prepare a baking dish with a hole such as you would use to make a round cake , coating the sides with a little olive oil.
Let it set in the fridge until you want to serve it ( you can make it the day before – but make sure it doesn’t dry out – so cover with cling foil).
This can be served as a side dish or even better as a main course by adding any of the following – small prawns or shrimps, fresh asparagus ( or the tinned variety ) chopped tomatoes with tuna and oil or anything that you like as this is a delightful dish to serve on summer days .
