Sartù

While it's commonly said that northern Italians are rice-eaters while southern Italians are "macaroni-eaters", the tables get turned a bit with this Neapolitan dish. It's true that down south we prefer pasta, but rice was introduced during the Kingdom on Naples by the Aragonese, though admittedly it took a long time to be accepted at the table.

French chefs, known to the Neapolitans as "Monzu', a (probably-deliberate) dialectical slaughtering of the word 'monsieur', were called to Naples by Queen Maria Carolina when she the Bourbon Ferdinand IV in 1768, saying the refined French culinary experts were needed to improve Neapolitan cuisine, which she considered too simple and plebian for her taste.

While these chefs received some accolades for their cakes, such as babà, their attempts to introduce their sauces rich in cream, butter and eggs to season pasta or rice was met with scorn, and the Neapolitans didn't take to that so-called sophisticated cuisine at all. Sartu' was an exemption, though truth be told, there's not much French to it other than the original cooks and the bit of butter it employs. It ws invented in Naples for Neapolitan tastes using distinctly Neapolitan ingredients. This dish met with success and spread to the kitchens of the commoners and has been a popular holiday treat every since.

Ingredients serving 8

• 600 grams (about 2 1/2 cups) of arborio or canaroli rice
• bread crumbs as needed (about 1/4 cup)
• Prepared tomato sauce, with or without meat

For the filling

• 350 grams (about 1 1/2 cup) of fresh mozzarella
• 250 grams (about 1 cup) shelled fresh peas
• 200 grams (about 3/4 cup) of grated parmesan cheese

For the meatballs

• 300 grams (2/3 pound) of ground meat, beef or pork
• 150 grams (1/3 cup) bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• grated Parmesan cheese
• chopped parsley to taste
• 1 minced clove garlic

Preparation

MEATBALLS: Mix all the ingredients together and roll into walnut sized balls. Bake or fry in olive oil and let cool.

RICE: Cook rice in salted water until al dente. Drain and run cold water over it to stop the cooking.

FILLINGS: Assemble the ingredients for the filling. Boil the peas and drain; slice the mozzarella cheese and set aside. Put these ingredients on a work surface with the meatballs and grated parmigiano cheese.

PREPARE: Butter a pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Mix the rice together with about 1 cup of prepared tomato sauce/spaghetti sauce (homemade is best, of course!)

Put a layer of rice on the bottom of the pan, then a layer of the filling ingredients, sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan cheese and continue alternating a layer of rice and a layer of filling. Finish with a layer of rice. Sprinkle on some breadcrumbs and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Bake in preheated oven at 170 degrees C (375 degrees F, or gas mark 5) for about 30 minutes, until the surface of the Sartù will be well colored and everything is heated through.