Torta di Riso alla Bolognese

Combine the rice, milk, 80g of the sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice, stirring often, for 25-30 minutes until it is very tender and has absorbed most of the milk, creating a thick, creamy porridge. The mixture should be quite dense. Remove from heat and discard the vanilla pod.

Let the rice cool for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to release steam.

Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Butter a 24cm springform pan generously and coat the bottom and sides with fine breadcrumbs, tapping out the excess.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 70g sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Add the cooled rice mixture to the eggs and fold together thoroughly. Stir in the ground almonds, candied orange peel, and amaretto until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Scatter the toasted sliced almonds over the surface.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until the top is golden brown and set, with a slight wobble in the very center. A skewer inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with just a trace of moisture.

Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The cake will firm up significantly as it cools. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before unmolding for the cleanest slices.

Remove the springform ring, dust with powdered sugar, and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.