Mom's Italian Spanish Rice

Mom's Italian Spanish Rice was and still is one of my favorite meals

This was an inexpensive meal using rice in a wine-flavored tomato sauce.

The additions she would use made a whole other meal every time she served it.

There were times she added cooked ground meats, leftover meats, seafood, and sometimes assorted vegetables.

Mom got very creative back in the 1960s when money was tight, and we were on a budget with leftovers.

We just love rice recipes, and mom and grandma made it several ways: broccoli and rice, baked rice balls made and my grandma's homemade rice pudding are all family favorites.

This basic rice recipe is delicious no matter what you end up putting in it, and it's so fast, taking just around 35 minutes to your table!

Scroll down to the printable recipe and make sure you read my tips and suggestions.

Why You Will Love This Recipe for Spanish Rice Italian Style

Can use any kind of rice
Totally customizable
Adding meat will make this a whole one-pan meal
A great side dish with any meal you're cooking

Serving Ideas

As a taco filling with the addition of cumin and chili powder
Stuffing zucchini with this filling or another squash
Use in wraps
Top Nachos with this mixture, with added ground beef
Serve the rice with melted cheese
Use as a bed of rice and top with grilled or baked meats

this is a skillet with Spanish rice that has peppers, white rice, diced tomatoes and garlic in it

Meat and Vegetable Suggestions

Cooked ground beef, pork, turkey, venison
Leftover cubed boneless meat, chicken, pork chops, steak, and lamb
Crushed meatballs from leftover spaghetti sauce or sliced cooked Italian sausage
Canned Tuna, shrimp, or crab meat
Minced onions
Shredded carrots
Sliced mushrooms
Cubed zucchini
Peas

this is around 3 cups of white rice being poured into a tomato sauce for Spanish Rice made Italian style

Tips:

Use only cooked long-grain rice (do not overcook it) and drain it
Only fold in the cooked rice, do not continue to cook it in the sauce
Simmer the tomatoes with fresh garlic and sauteed peppers for at least 35 minutes, that's where all the flavor comes from
Add meats at the end and any vegetables just to heat
Adding carrots will sweeten the sauce
Substitute chicken or vegetable broth for wine
If you need any additional sauce to add 1- 4 ounces can of tomato sauce
Add melted mozzarella or provolone cheese on top for a cheesy rice dish

this is a deep skillet full of spanish rice that has white rice, sauce, peppers and garlic

Using Leftovers

This Italian Spanish Rice is a whole meal in itself when you add meat.

Repurposing leftovers is the perfect way to stretch your meals on a budget, deliciously.

I really am with just peppers, garlic in this rich wine tomato sauce, and with a heavy garnish of grated cheese on top.

That's my favorite way to eat this.

Just get creative and use whatever you like for this fabulous, easy rice recipe and one of our favorites mom use to make.

this is tomato sauce with peppers and garlic for making sauce and rice

Pin for later Mom's Italian Spanish Rice

this is a pin for later how to make Spanish rice

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Mom's Italian Spanish Rice

Yield: 6

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Prep time: 5 MCook time: 35 MTotal time: 40 M

This is my mom's version of Spanish Rice but Italian style. An inexpensive meal that will feed a large family on a budget and easy one-pan meal made in 35 minutes.

Ingredients:

1- 28 ounce can of Italian diced or crushed Tomatoes
3 cups of any kind of steamed long grain white rice cooked to package instructions (mom always use long grain Carolina rice) and set aside
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 sliced and cleaned bell pepper
2 cloves of fresh garlic minced
1/2 cup red wine ( like Merlot) or use vegetable or chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (and more for garnishing the top)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and dried basil
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
Garnish: Grated Parmesan and Romano blended cheese
Optional: any cooked ground meats like hamburger, ground pork, ground venison.
Also, you can add any leftovers cooked that are boneless: cubed steak, cubed pork chops, cubed chicken or try using crushed meatballs or sliced Italian cooked sausage.
For seafood lovers, use one small can of drained shrimp, tuna or crab meat.
Optional vegetables: cubed zucchini, sliced mushrooms, shaved carrots, peas or any other kinds of vegetables you prefer.

Instructions:

How to cook Mom's Italian Spanish Rice

In a large frypan, add olive oil, peppers and garlic saute 1 minute.
Pour in diced or crushed tomatoes, wine and rest of ingredients.
Simmer around 35 minutes or longer if adding any extra vegetables.
Add any of the cooked meat if using and just heat the meat in the sauce at the end around 5 minutes then fold in the cooked white rice.
Note: Do not continue cooking the rice in the sauce or it will get mushy.
Also, the meat is already cooked if using and just needs to be heated up in the sauce.
Mom always used leftover meats or seafood when we had it in the sauce.
To serve: scoop the sauce with combined rice on a plate and garnish with grated cheese on top and fresh parsley.

https://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/2017/04/italian-leftover-meat-and-rice-recipe.html

Italian style Spanish rice, Spanish rice, sauce and rice, rice recipes, one-pan meal. leftover meat and rice recipes,

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Italian, American

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