When you want a rice dish that screams “northern Italy,” but you don’t want something as rich (or as much work) as risotto, try throwing together this Italian rice salad, which was first made for me outside of Milan, served alongside a simply roasted chicken. You could add leftover chicken, shredded cheese, or other more substantial foods to make this into a meal, but it’s a wonderful side dish.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 cups Arborio, Vialone Nano, or other short-grain Italian or Spanish rice

　　1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

　　1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

　　1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

　　2 or 3 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped, optional

　　2 tablespoons drained capers, optional

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop the rice in, stir occasionally, and cook for about 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain, rinse briefly under running water—you want to stop the cooking, but it’s nice if the rice stays a little warm, so it absorbs some of the vinegar—and shake well to drain off any excess moisture.

　　

Step 2

Transfer the rice to a serving bowl or platter and toss it with the remaining ingredients, including salt and pepper. Taste and add more olive oil, vinegar, salt, or pepper as needed. Serve at room temperature.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.