Arancini al pesto

I am happy to present you with a recipe that, with a touch of creativity, fuses Sicilian and Ligurian cuisines. Here’s how to prepare pesto arancini:

Ingredients

For the risotto:

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

For the pesto:

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

For the arancini:

• Cooled pesto rice
• 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 with butter until it becomes transparent. Add the rice and toast it slightly until it becomes translucent. Deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate.
2. Add a ladle of broth at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next one. Continue until the rice is fully cooked, but still al dente.
3. Once ready, turn off the heat, add the grated cheese, adjust with salt and pepper, and let the rice cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto. In a mortar or mixer, combine all the pesto ingredients (basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, Pecorino, oil, and a pinch of salt) until a creamy sauce is obtained.
5. Mix the pesto with the cooled rice until a homogeneous mixture is achieved.
6. Prepare the beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs in three different plates.
7. Take a portion of pesto rice, flatten it in your hand, and place a cube of cheese in the center. Close the rice around the cheese forming a ball or an oval shape (depending on local traditions).
8. Dip each arancino first in flour, then in beaten egg and finally in breadcrumbs, ensuring it is well coated.
9. Fry the arancini in plenty of hot oil until they are golden and have a crispy crust.
10. Drain them and let them rest on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.

Serve the arancini hot as an appetizer or main dish.

Curiosity

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