Il Cucinologo
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Pesto Arancini

26/11/2023

I’m happy to present a recipe that, with a touch of creativity, blends Sicilian and Ligurian cuisine. Here’s how to make pesto arancini:

Ingredients

For the risotto:

  • 300 g risotto rice (such as Arborio or Carnaroli)
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 liter vegetable stock
  • 100 ml dry white wine
  • 30 g butter
  • 40 g grated cheese (Parmesan or similar)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto:

  • 50 g fresh basil
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 60 g grated Parmesan
  • 60 g grated Pecorino
  • 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste

For the arancini:

  • Chilled pesto risotto
  • Mozzarella or other melting cheese, cut into cubes
  • Flour as needed
  • 2 eggs
  • Breadcrumbs as needed
  • Oil for frying

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the risotto. In a pot, sauté the chopped onion in the butter until translucent. Add the rice and toast it lightly until it becomes translucent. Deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate.
  2. Add a ladle of stock at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue until the rice is fully cooked but still al dente.
  3. Once ready, remove from the heat, stir in the grated cheese, adjust salt and pepper, and let the rice cool completely.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto. In a mortar or food processor, combine all the pesto ingredients (basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, Pecorino, oil, and a pinch of salt) until you obtain a creamy sauce.
  5. Mix the pesto into the cooled rice until evenly combined.
  6. Prepare the beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs in three separate plates.
  7. Take a portion of pesto rice, flatten it in your hand, place a cheese cube in the center, and enclose it to form a ball or oval shape (depending on local traditions).
  8. Coat each arancino first in flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in breadcrumbs, ensuring it is well covered.
  9. Fry the arancini in plenty of hot oil until golden and crispy.
  10. Drain and rest on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

Serve the arancini hot as an appetizer or main course.

Trivia

Arancini are a Sicilian specialty said to date back to the Arab period in Sicily, when similar spiced rice balls were eaten during festivals. The term “arancino” comes from their shape and color resembling an orange (arancia in Italian) once fried. The pesto version is an excellent example of how Italian cuisine remains open to new interpretations of regional classics.