Baked Rice With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Step 1

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2

In an 8-by-12-inch casserole dish, toss together tomatoes, garlic, shallots, cilantro stems, thyme, cinnamon sticks, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Pour oil over everything, then bake until vegetables are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450.

Step 3

Without stirring anything, sprinkle rice evenly over vegetables. Top with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper.

Step 4

Carefully pour boiling water over rice, then cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, until rice is cooked. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes, still covered.

Step 5

Remove foil, gently stir in cilantro leaves, taste and add more salt if needed, and serve.