Baked risotto with roasted vegetables

Red, orange and purple...kind of like Blood oranges that are in season.

Recipe by Gray Apron
time: about 1 hr

 ingredients 

3 cups cooked brown rice (salted), preferably warm
3/4 lb (350 g) carrots, peeled coarsely chopped
3/4 lb (350 g) parsnips or parsley roots, peeled coarsely chopped
3/4 lb (350 g) red beets, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 lb (350 g) onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste
2 cups tomato sauce (passata di pomodoro)
4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons (45 g) butter, diced
for topping
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan + 2 Tablespoons bread crumbs + 1 Tablespoon olive oil 

 instructions 
Preheat oven to 230C/450F. Prepare a ceramic baking dish, grease it lightly with extra olive oil. In a small bowl, whisk oil into vinegar. Add salt.

Place all the vegetables on a baking sheet. With your hands, cover them all with the vinegar dressing. Set them in the hot oven for 25 minutes, mixing half way through.

Meanwhile...heat through tomato sauce (2-3 minutes on medium heat).
In a large bowl, mix cooked rice, roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, Parmesan and butter. Adjust seasoning. Transfer everything into the prepared baking dish. Top it with Parmesan, bread crumbs and oil.

Lower oven temperature to 200C/400F and set the dish in the heat for 20 minutes. Remove, let it cool for 10 minutes and serve...hot, warm or less warm.

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES 

• the colors blended beautifully and so did the flavors: sweet and sour in a mild competition;
• roasted vegetables are my best friends this Winter; I can always count on them;
• beet roots, carrots, parsnips and onions: their roosting time differs;
• parsnip is ready first, than onion, carrot and beet root at the end;
• but it is still possible to prepare them together...and that's the secret of root vegetables;
• I like them over-done and under-done...and anywhere in between.