Arancini with asparagus and Parmesan

The arancino is a Sicilian specialty, traditionally filled with meat sauce, peas, and mozzarella. However, there is an endless variety of fillings, and arancini with asparagus and Parmesan is a tasty and vegetarian springtime alternative. Here’s how to prepare them.

Ingredients

For the rice:

• 300 g of risotto rice (such as Arborio or Carnaroli)
• 1 liter of vegetable broth
• 1/2 glass of white wine
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 50 g of butter
• 70 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Saffron (one sachet or to taste)
• Salt and pepper q.b.

For the filling:

• 200 g of fresh asparagus
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 100 g of chopped pizza mozzarella or cubes of sweet provola

For breading and frying:

• Flour q.b.
• 2 eggs
• Breadcrumbs q.b.
• Oil for frying

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the risotto: in a thick-bottomed pan, sauté the chopped onion with half the butter until it becomes translucent. Add the rice and toast it until it becomes slightly translucent. Deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate.

2. Add the vegetable broth a little at a time, stirring often, and cook until the rice is al dente. Midway through cooking, add the saffron dissolved in a bit of hot broth to give color and aroma to the risotto.

3. Once the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and incorporate the grated Parmesan and the remaining butter. Adjust for salt and pepper and spread the risotto on a tray to cool down quickly.

4. Clean the asparagus by removing the woody part and cut the tips and stems into small pieces. Blanch them in slightly salted water for a few minutes, then drain and cut further if necessary.

5. In a bowl, mix the asparagus with the grated Parmesan and mozzarella or provola.

6. When the risotto is cool, form the mixture into balls the size of an orange. Make a hole in the center of each ball and fill it with the asparagus and cheese mix, then seal it with a bit more rice to form a round or slightly oval shape.

7. Bread the arancini by first passing them in the flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs, making sure they are well covered.

8. Fry the arancini in plenty of hot oil until they are golden brown on all sides.

9. Drain them from the oil and place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Serve the arancini hot, perhaps accompanied by a fresh seasonal salad.

Curiosity

Arancini get their name from their shape and color similar to that of oranges, in fact “arancini” means little oranges in Italian. However, in the eastern parts of Sicily, they are called “arancine” and often have a more conical shape, reminiscent of Mount Etna.