Arancini with broccoli and sausage

26/11/2023

Arancini with broccoli and sausage are a great way to reinterpret this classic Sicilian specialty, adding some extra flavor. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

300 g of rice for arancini (like arborio or carnaroli)
As needed vegetable broth
1 small onion
Extra virgin olive oil
200 g of sausage
300 g of broccoli
100 g of mozzarella (or another stringy cheese)
2 eggs
As needed breadcrumbs
As needed flour
Salt and pepper as needed
Frying oil

Preparation

Start by preparing the basic risotto for the arancini. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes. Continue by adding the vegetable broth little by little until the rice is cooked but still al dente. Let the risotto cool down.
In the meantime, clean the broccoli and divide it into florets. Cook them in salted boiling water until tender, then drain and let them cool.
Crumble the sausage and brown it in a pan without adding any other fats, until it is well cooked.
Cut the mozzarella into cubes and set it aside.
In a large bowl, start assembling the arancini. Take a handful of rice and flatten it in your hand, place some broccoli, sausage, and mozzarella in the center, then cover with more rice forming a ball or cone.
Dip each arancino first in flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs.
Fry the arancini in abundant and hot oil until they are golden, then drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Curiosity

Arancini, whose name comes from the shape and color that resemble those of a small orange (“arancino” in Sicilian dialect), are traditionally filled with ragù, peas, and caciocavallo cheese, but their versatility makes them perfect to be adapted with an infinite number of fillings, like the one we prepared today.