Baked Cannellini Rice with Roast Aubergine, Honey Ve'duja Dressing & Tomato Basil Salad

Serving size

1 person 2 people 4 people

Ingredients

100g Tomatoes Baby Seasonal Mix
1 aubergine
30g yellow pea crumb (use half)

(yellow pea whole grain flour (100%))
2 garlic clove
1 handful of fresh basil
1 unwaxed lemon
250g cooked short grain brown rice

(Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste

(Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
230g cannellini beans

(Rehydrated cannellini beans, water, salt, antioxidant: ascorbic acid.)
40g vegan 'nduja (use half)

(Red peppers (26%), Rapeseed Oil, coconut oil, haricot beans, chilli peppers (14%), paprika, red wine vinegar, sunflower oil, salt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, acidity regulator: citric acid)
25g honey

(100% Honey)
40g rocket
40g Soft Cheese (Milk)

(10% fat cheese base (skimmed milk, cream, bacterial starter culture), salt)

Allergens

Contains: Milk

Nutritional Information

Typical values	per 100g	per portion
Energy	119Kcal	621Kcal
	496kJ	2597kJ
Fat	4.7g	25g
of which saturates	1.2g	6.4g
Carbohydrates	16g	84g
of which sugars	3.7g	20g
Protein	3.0g	16g
Salt	0.38g	2.0g
Fibre	2.8g	15g

Ingredients

100g Tomatoes Baby Seasonal Mix (use half)
1 aubergine (use half)
30g yellow pea crumb (use a quarter)

(yellow pea whole grain flour (100%))
2 garlic clove
1 handful of fresh basil (use half)
1 unwaxed lemon (use half)
250g cooked short grain brown rice (use half)

(Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (use half)

(Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
230g cannellini beans (use half)

(Rehydrated cannellini beans, water, salt, antioxidant: ascorbic acid.)
40g vegan 'nduja (use a quarter)

(Red peppers (26%), Rapeseed Oil, coconut oil, haricot beans, chilli peppers (14%), paprika, red wine vinegar, sunflower oil, salt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, acidity regulator: citric acid)
25g honey (use half)

(100% Honey)
40g rocket (use half)
40g Soft Cheese (use half) (Milk)

(10% fat cheese base (skimmed milk, cream, bacterial starter culture), salt)

Allergens

Contains: Milk

Nutritional Information

Typical values	per 100g	per portion
Energy	117Kcal	615Kcal
	489kJ	2575kJ
Fat	4.5g	24g
of which saturates	1.2g	6.3g
Carbohydrates	16g	85g
of which sugars	3.7g	20g
Protein	3.1g	16g
Salt	0.38g	2.0g
Fibre	2.8g	15g

Back

1/3 daily fibre 4 of 5 a day New Low sat fat

Baked Cannellini Rice with Roast Aubergine, Honey Ve'duja Dressing & Tomato Basil Salad

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: Italian

Food group: Dairy

This version of baked rice, aka riso al forno, pulls all the stops. We are talking nutty brown rice baked with creamy cannellini beans in a vibrand sundried tomato sauce. You'll dish it up with gooey aubergines, tossed in a crunchy crumb and roasted until golden. Serve on a bed on soft cheese and drizzle with a fiery and sweet honey ve'duja dressing. A refreshing tomato salad, studded with leafy basil, balances the flavours.

Cooking Instructions

The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.

As of December 2025, we've revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.

Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.

Before you start

Preheat the oven to 220C / fan 200C / gas mark 7
Lining a large baking tray with parchment paper
Pull out a medium baking dish, a medium bowl & a small bowl

Roast the aubergine

Slice the aubergine into 1cm thick discs, then add to the lined baking tray. Sprinkle over the half pack of pea crumb and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss to coat
Roast for 20-22 mins, until the aubergine is soft and the crumb is golden

Bake the rice

Finely chop or crush the garlic. Pick the basil leaves from the stalks and roughly chop. Halve the lemon. Halve the tomatoes
Add the rice to the medium baking dish and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the sundried tomato paste, garlic, cannellini beans (with their liquid) and half the basil. Season with salt and pepper
Drizzle with 1/2 tsp olive oil, then bake for 12-15 mins, until golden

Prep the salad & dressing

Add the tomato to the medium bowl with the juice from half the lemon, 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine
In the small bowl, combine the half pack of vegan 'nduja with the honey, the juice from the remaining lemon and 1/2 tbsp water (1 tsp for 1 person). Season with salt and pepper

Finish & plate up

When everything's ready, toss the rocket and remaining basil with the tomato
Use the back of a spoon to spread the soft cheese between plates. Top with the aubergine and crumb, then drizzle over the honey 'nduja dressing
Serve with the rice al forno and salad alongside