Il Cucinologo
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Arancini with Pumpkin Risotto and Amaretti

26/11/2023

Certainly, arancini with pumpkin risotto and amaretti are an exquisite autumnal variant of the typical Sicilian street food. Here’s how you can prepare them.

Ingredients

  • 300 g risotto rice (such as arborio or carnaroli)
  • 500 g pumpkin, already cleaned
  • 1 liter vegetable broth
  • 1 small onion
  • 100 g amaretti
  • 100 g butter
  • 50 g grated Parmesan
  • All-purpose flour as needed for breading
  • Breadcrumbs as needed for breading
  • 2 eggs
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste (optional)
  • Nutmeg to taste (optional)

Preparation

  1. Start by cooking the pumpkin: cut it into cubes and cook it in the oven or in a pan with a drizzle of oil until soft. You can also steam or microwave it to preserve all its properties.
  2. While the pumpkin cooks, prepare the risotto. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in half the butter until translucent.
  3. Add the rice to the sauté and toast briefly. Then start adding the hot vegetable broth little by little, stirring constantly and letting the rice absorb the broth before adding the next ladle.
  4. Mash the cooked pumpkin into a purée and stir it into the rice when it is halfway cooked.
  5. Roughly crumble the amaretti and add them to the rice when it is almost done.
  6. When the rice is al dente, turn off the heat, add the remaining butter and Parmesan. Stir well until creamy. Adjust salt and pepper, and add a grating of nutmeg if desired.
  7. Spread the risotto on a tray and let it cool completely.
  8. Once cold, take portions of risotto and form balls the size of a walnut, or larger if you prefer.
  9. Coat each ball first in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in breadcrumbs, making sure to cover each arancino evenly.
  10. Heat plenty of oil in a pot and fry the arancini until golden and crispy.
  11. When done, place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Trivia

Arancini are a symbol of Sicilian street food cuisine, and are generally filled more simply with ragù, mozzarella and peas, or with butter and ham. The variation with pumpkin and amaretti is a fusion of typical flavors from the Piedmontese autumn and Sicilian tradition, creating a delicious and surprising combination.