RECIPE

"Sicilian" Rice Salad

  • Contributed by Quick From Scratch Soups & Salads
  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: 4

All right, we confess, this recipe isn't really from Sicily—we just invented it ourselves. But there's no denying the southern Italian heritage of the ingredients, and, like much of the region's cooking, our "Sicilian" salad is bold in flavor.

  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • FAST

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
    1. 1 1/2 cups rice
    2. 1/4 cup pine nuts
    3. 1/3 cup drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
    4. 2 tablespoons drained capers
    5. 1/3 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 small onion)
    6. 1 6-ounce can tuna, drained
    7. 1 2-ounce tin anchovy fillets, drained and minced
    8. 1/4 cup olive oil
    9. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    10. 2 tablespoons red- or white-wine vinegar
    11. 3/4 teaspoon salt
    12. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
    13. 1/4 cup thin-sliced basil or mint leaves

Directions

  1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Put the rice in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, toast the pine nuts over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Or toast the pine nuts in a 350° oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Stir the toasted pine nuts, the sun-dried tomatoes, capers, onion, tuna, and anchovies into the rice. Toss the rice salad with the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and basil.

Notes

Variations

If you'd like more anchovy flavor, use some of the oil from the anchovy tin in place of some of the olive oil.

Add a handful of chopped pitted green or black olives.