Arancini with Arrabbiata Sauce

Leftover risotto? No problem. This quick recipe is all about the preparation as the cooking time really doesn’t take long at all. Before you know it, you’ll have oozing delicious Arancini ready and rivalling any you’ve had in a restaurant.

You can just leave the Arancini to be had by themselves, but I find whipping up a quick Arrabbiata sauce (chilli tomato sauce) and sprinkling liberally with parmesan levels up this recipe.
Something that makes great use of leftovers but also perfect for a those evenings when you want to eat fancy whilst at home.

Ingredients

Leftover risotto (ideally a couple of cups worth and allowed to chill)
1 ball of mozzarella (or any cheese of your preference)
1 egg (or 2 depending on how much risotto you have)
2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp red chilli flakes
Parmesan
Basil
Optional: white wine

1. Prepare your tomato sauce first. Chop up your garlic and add to a pan with olive oil and the chilli flakes over a low-medium heat.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes, wine and season with salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Allow to cook down for 5 minutes before covering with a lid and simmering for 15 minutes.

3. Depending on your preference, you could use a hand blender to blitz the sauce or leave it slightly chunky. Set sauce aside on a low heat to carry on cooking. Add water to it if necessary.

4. Leave your risotto out to get to room temperature whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Prepare a plate with the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder and oregano. Beat an egg in a separate bowl and beat an egg into the risotto.

5. Cut the mozzarella into medium sized cubes. Put a tablespoon of risotto out on the palm of your hand and add the mozzarella. Gently lift the sides of the risotto mix into a ball and roll gently in your hands.

6. Roll the ball into the egg mixture then the breadcrumbs and set onto a plate. Repeat process for the rest of the risotto mixture. Add more breadcrumbs and seasoning if necessary.

7. Once you’ve finished your risotto mix and have your arancini ready, chill them in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to allow to harden a little.

8. Heat a frying pan with some oil and allow to get to a medium-high heat before adding the arancini in. Be careful not to crowd the pan and if doing in batches, put the finished ones in a low oven on 100C to keep warm.

9. You want the arancini to be golden brown all over and sprinkle with flaky salt once out of the frying pan.

10. Serve with the tomato sauce, grated parmesan and chopped basil.

[Cover Image from Archana’s Kitchen]