Arancini Balls made with Tomato Paste | Mutti Recipe (2024)

Arancini balls are a staple Sicilian snack consisting of stuffed riceballs enclosed in a golden crispy breadcrumb coating. Pour yourself a drink and treat yourself to the rich flavour of Arancini.

Ingredients

• 1 large pinch saffron
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion (finely diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbsp Mutti® Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (Doppio Concentrato)
• 5 oz Arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 1.4 oz butter
• 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (finely grated )
• 5 oz fresh mozzarella
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Finely grated zest of lemon

Crumbing mix

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 milk
• 7 oz panko breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
• Mayonnaise (to serve)

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Arancini Balls made with Tomato Paste: Method

1. Place the saffron and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down to a low simmer.
2. Heat olive oil in a wide-based saucepan and add the onion and garlic, sauté stirring for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the Mutti® Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (Doppio Concentrato) and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice, salt and pepper and the wine and continue stirring until all the liquid is nearly evaporated. Start slowly adding the simmering stock, continuously stirring for approx. 20 minutes.
3. Add butter, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread risotto mix onto a tray to cool.
4. Transfer the mix to a bowl. Stir through the mozzarella.
5. Using damp hands to roll the rice into fifteen even-sized balls (approx. 1.7-2 oz). Place them on a tray.
6. To prepare the crumbing mix, place the flour on a plate. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a wide mixing bowl. Place half of the breadcrumbs on a flat plate.
7. Crumb Arancini balls in batches, firstly coating in the flour then dipping in the egg mixture and lastly rolling in crumbs to coat. Repeat the steps to make them extra crisp.
8. Pour oil into a wide-based saucepan to fill approx. 10cm deep. Heat to 356°F. Deep-fry the arancini in batches for about 2-3 minutes, until slightly dark golden. Remove them and drain on paper towel.
9. Serve arancini balls warm with mayonnaise and your favorite co*cktail or mocktail.

arancini balls and its sicilian history

Arancini balls date back to tenth-century Sicily when the Italian region was under Arab tule. Rice was introduced during the time when Arabs revolutionised agriculture with novel and productive irrigation systems, causing rice balls to become a popular dish. Their Italian name derives from the word orange (arancia) due to their round shape and orange colour – given by the saffron spice.

Arancini balls have formed from a traditional Italian recipe to a popular modern Italian snack, which can nowadays be found all year round in Sicilian food outlets and cafés. In the Sicilian cities of Palermo, Siracusa and Trapani, Arancini balls are indulged on Santa Lucia day to celebrate the arrival of grain supply in 1646, which alleviated a great famine.

the different variation of arancini balls

The Arancini balls recipe varies throughout the regions of Sicily, differing in fillings and shape. In western Sicily, Arancini balls are commonly round, whilst in eastern Sicily Arancini is formed in a conical shape inspired by the Etna volcano. The most popular type of Arancini is Arancini al ragù, which is filled with meat, tomato sauce, rice and mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, as well as Arancini al burro, filled with butter or béchamel sauce. For the more adventurous type, Sicilian cafés typically offer special types of Arancini, such as Arancini con pistacchi (pistachios), con funghi (mushrooms), or con melanzane (aubergine).

In this particular Arancini ball recipe, we use Mutti’s double concentrated tomato paste to give a strong and intense flavour of ripe tomato, combined with mozzarella to give the dish the rich and creamy texture it is known for.

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