Ross il-forn is a traditional Maltese baked rice dish. The rice bake is made with a rich meat sauce finished with a crispy cheesy top.
Like the Imqarrun, this baked rice dish is a staple in every Maltese household. It is also commonly found at any local pastizzeria baked in a small foil pan ready to be enjoyed on the go. This dish is a perfect filling lunch, or dish, that can be enjoyed warm or also cold. Traditionally, long grain rice is used which is parboiled before baking. However, basmati rice is also commonly used. The base of the recipe is the typical Maltese meat sauce that is present in so many dishes.
Every family has their own unique version on how to make this dish. Therefore, there is no right or wrong. In my family we make ross il-forn with canned or frozen peas and occasionally we might also include hard boiled eggs. You can find versions who keep it simpler and others that add more vegetables in the mix. Recently, I have also seen baked rice stuffed with a good amount of melty cheese such as mozzarella and cheddar. One thing is common for all these varieties: they are all delicious and it is a comfort meal to enjoy whenever you want something filling. The recipe I’m sharing here is the one I grew up with, and to which I was always looking forward to eat whenever my mother used to make it.
Cooking the Rice
Whenever my mother, and now myself, make this baked rice, we always parboil the rice before. I don’t recommend cooking the rice completely before baking as this might result in a whole mush. Some people choose not to cook the rice beforehand, and just make the sauce runnier so that the rice has more liquid to absorb. I personally, have never tried this method, so can’t give the proper method for this. However, one thing I know is that this method might take longer to actually cook.
One thing that I do recommend: wash your rice before cooking! Apart from cleaning the rice from any debris and dirt, washing the rice helps to remove any excess starch. This prevents rice from becoming a big mush!
Cheese on Top!
In my opinion one of the best parts of ross il-forn is the cheesy crunchy top. This delicious crunchy part is achieved by sprinkling plenty of freshly grated cheese. I like to use parmesan cheese, grana padano or kefalotiri cheese as they melt nicely in the rice, and they create the crispiest crust.
Ross il-Forn – Maltese Baked Rice
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g rice long grain
- 500 g pork minced meat or mixed
- 400 ml tomato sauce passata
- 1 small white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste Maltese kunserva
- 100 g peas canned or frozen
- 1/2 tsp curry
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper extra for the top part
- 2 eggs raw or boiled*
- 125 ml milk
- 50 g parmesan cheese or kefalotiri cheese grated
Instructions
- In a large pan or pot, heat the olive oil and fry the onion for a few minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and let cook for another minute.
- Add the thyme, oregano, rosemary, curry, cumin and paprika and mix well with the onion and garlic. Add the tomato paste and let it cook for about 3 minutes.
- Once the base is ready, add the pork minced meat, let cook for a few minutes until you get a nice brown colour. Season with salt and pepper.
- Lastly, add the tomato passata and the bay leaves. Bring to a light boil.
- Once you bring it to a boil, cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for about 1 hour, stirring it occasionally so that the meat doesn't get stuck to the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
- Wash the rice in cold water until the water is clear.
- During the last half an hour, bring to a boil a pot filled with water. Once it starts to boil, season with salt. Add the rice and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. The rice shouldn't be cooked all the way.
- Once the sauce is done, don’t forget to remove the bay leaves and discard.
- Butter a baking dish. I used a glass dish with a volume of 3L. Set aside.
- Mix the rice together with the sauce and peas.
- In a separate small bowl mix together the raw eggs*, milk and half of the grated cheese and add it to the already mixed rice. Mix well.
- Place the mixed rice in the dish and gently press it down to pack it in. Cover the top layer with the remaining grated cheese and sprinkle extra black pepper on top.
- Bake the dish on the middle rack of your oven for about 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes I like to place the dish on a higher rack so it gets crispier. However, this last step is optional.
- Once ready, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing through so that the rice bake doesn't break completely.
Notes
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!
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I do this quite regularly but don’t use eggs since I turned vegan. What I use? Ground flax seeds. For this recipe you need 2 tablespoons of flax seeds whole (from health shops or supermarkets) and grind them in a blender etc. I use a coffee grinder. Add to the seeds 5-6 tablespoons water and boil them for 1-2mins (or until they boil) in MW Set aside and continue with recipe. The seeds get very thick and can be mixed in with the rest of ingredients.
As regards meat I use TVP minced. Instructions on the bag (from Suoermarkets).
Thanks for this information! Will for sure try this vegan version 🙂
I think that the rice to meat (sauce) ratio is off in this receipt. Far too much rice. Did you mean 500g cooked or dry rice?
This exact recipe is how my family has been doing it for years, for us this is the perfect ratio. 🙂 However, everyone has their own preference so you can reduce the rice quantity if you prefer more sauce. For this recipe I use 500g uncooked rice.
I love this recipe. I do it slightly different. I do not use peas and do not boil the rice, otherwise it is exactly the way I do it.
Yes, there are multiple different ways to do this recipe. I guess each family has their own way 🙂
Love this recipe very tasty and easy satisfying meal with a salad definitely will be making this again Thankyou.
That’s so lovely to hear! Thank you for sharing your feeback ♥️
How much water do you use with the rice? Do you drain the leftover water before mixing with the sauce and peas?
In this recipe I use 500g of rice, so I double the amount of water, therefore I use 1 litre of water. As I stop the cooking halfway through for the rice, yes, any leftover water I drain it and discard before mixing with the sauce and peas. Hope that this helps 🙂
Hi, a valencian here. We do have one recipe named ‘arròs al forn’ which is exactly the same concept but with round rice and without cheese (we also don’t put peas on it). Is the main traditional dish in València, besides paella.
I am not 100% certain on this, but most probably this dish have the same roots as ours.
Moltes gràcies per fer el post, molt ben explicat i molt recomanable, aixina mos assabentem una mica més de la història gastronòmica de dos països que en algun moment vam ser un.
In our family we don’t use peas, and we don’t use cheese because my late father and I don’t like it. However i could go for peas for sure as, like most Maltese, I love peas. What we do use, in this and imarqun, is some canned corned (bully) beef. It just isn’t the same without it for me, I guess because the best version of these dishes is the one you grew up with (your mother’s cooking). I am guessing my parents grew up with bully beef sauces rather than sauces with much or any meat in them, as they grew up during WW2.
Hi! 🙂 yes, it’s very common to use canned corned beef in these dishes. My parents used to them like that occasionally as well, however, I don’t make them as often nowadays with corned beef, as where I live is not commonly found.
It’s true that there are many variations, but as to the assertion that there’s no wrong way, I must disagree. The ingredient list above, with all the spices/herbs is DEFINITELY not traditional. Maltese dishes use very little in the way of spices (some mixed spices, some curry, a bay leaf or 2). As to herbs, very little (except parsley mint and marjoram) and definitely always fresh. I know there are a lot of “new world” Maltese cooks, and recipes that have been adapted by multiple generations away from the shores of Malta—I myself have lived in the US for almost 40 years but grew up to adulthood there and visit at least once a year. But a tiny bit of research looking at local (Malta) sources, can help you make the real deal. Don’t get me wrong, you can still make a great dish using ingredients different than the originals, but if you want to experience the dishes of our island, you should stick to the original prescription. That is my opinion of course, I could be wrong😉
A little tip: The debate about cooking or not cooking the rice is important. In my family we didn’t cook the rice which resulted in most of the sauce/meat rising towards the top layer. Some people love that and wouldn’t have it any other way. If you prefer your rice and meat/sauce to be interspersed, one way to do it is to cook the sauce, rice and water on low heat on the stove top, Then let it cool enough for the eggs not turn into scrambled eggs, add the rest of the ingredients and bake from that point. I find this to be the best compromise between adding raw rice and par cooking the rice. Hope this helps.
Hi! Thank you for your comment, and I appreciate the thoughtful perspective. However, I would like to respectfully offer a different viewpoint. Before posting this recipe, I consulted several Maltese people, including my mother and other family members, and researched various versions made by Maltese cooks online. My goal was to explore beyond what I personally grew up with and see how different families approach ross il-forn.
During my time living in Malta and now through my frequent yearly visits, I’ve had many versions of this dish—some with different meats, others that incorporated vegetables like courgettes or aubergines, or even topped with breadcrumbs before baking. I’ve also seen variations that use stock cubes or red wine. In my family, adding dried herbs and other spices has always been part of the recipe, and my mother, who is definitely not part of the “new world” Maltese cooks, does this too.
With so many variations across the islands, it’s tricky to define what the “real deal” or original version is. I believe there’s room for flexibility in how we make and enjoy these dishes. Ultimately, it’s about honoring tradition while adapting to personal tastes.
Thanks again for your input, and I’m glad to hear about your family’s approach as well!
Traditional or not, I don’t mind! I really pumped up the flavour because my family likes strong dishes! I used garlic and herb sausages that I peeled and broke up with a wooden spoon. I also more than doubled all the spices and added in 2 tsp chilli flakes and a beef stock cube. I also included some grated carrot and zucchini for extra veg. Delish!
It’s still in the oven but it already smells delicious! I used minced chicken instead of pork. Planning to bring some to work as i got this recipe from my Maltese co-worker 😉
That’s so lovely! Thank you so much <3