Arancini balls with tomato sauce

Arancini with Tomato Sauce Recipe

45 Minutes
Serves: 4

Delicious fried arancini balls, cubes of mozzarella encased in creamy risotto and a crispy coating, lightly fried and served with a rich tomato sauce made with cherry tomatoes and flavoured with oregano

Recipe Ingreds

Risotto

  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 20 grams butter
  • 0.5 stick celery
  • 1 cloves garlic
  • 0.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 50 grams parmesan or pecorino cheese
  • 100 grams risotto rice
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 whole shallots
  • 0.5 cube stock cube veg
  • 350 ml water
  • 80 ml white wine

Coating

  • 75 grams bread crumbs
  • 2 whole egg
  • 50 grams mozzarella
  • 20 grams plain flour
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)

Aranchini

  • 1 . sunflower oil (for frying)
  • 3 sprig fresh parsley

Sauce

  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tsp oregano (dried)
  • 1 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 whole onions
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 tin tinned cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 6 whole tomatoes

Recipe with pictures Steps

How to make arancini with tomato sauce

  • boil the water and add to the stock cube
  • heat the frying pan
  • add a 1/4 of the butter and a spot of olive oil

Step 2

  • peel and finely chop the shallot(s)
  • add the shallots to the frying pan
  • cook for a further minute or two

Step 3

  • wash and chop the celery
  • add the celery to the frying pan and cook till soft
  • peel and crush the garlic using the garlic crusher or chop finely
  • add to the frying pan

Step 4

  • wash the risotto rice
  • add the rice to the onions
  • cook until the rice starts to look transparent

Step 5

  • add the white wine, cook till wine has evaporated
  • add enough stock to cover the rice then
  • add the stock to the onions and rice mixture a ladle at a time allowing the stock to be absorbed by the rice , continue adding ladle after ladle until all the stock is used up.
  • when the water is fully incorporated the rice should be cooked, it should be soft on the outside with a slight bite in the middle

Step 6

  • finely grate the parmesan
  • add the parmesan and the remaining butter to the rice
  • Stir and then place a lid on the pan
  • leave for five minutes
  • season with salt and pepper
  • set a side to cool

Step 7

  • cut the mozzarella into cubes
  • place the breadcrumbs on a plate
  • break the egg(s) into the shallow bowl and beat with a fork
  • season with salt and pepper
  • place the flour on a plate

Step 8

  • organise the breading ingredients into a row with the flour first , then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs.
  • with floured hands take a tablespoon of the cooled risotto and form a ball
  • push a cube of mozzarella into the middle
  • dip into the flour, ensuring the risotto ball is fully coated in flour shake off any access
  • dip in the egg and then into the breadcrumbs mixture coating the risotto ball fully
  • repeat until you have completed all the aranchinis
  • place in the fridge for 10 minutes

Step 9

  • prick tomatoes and place in boiling water for 5 mins
  • drain the tomatoes and place in cold water
  • remove the skins
  • chop tomatoes removing the hard central core

Step 10

  • peel and grate the onion
  • peel and crush the garlic
  • heat the olive oil in the frying pan
  • add the onion and garlic to the pan
  • cook for 5 minutes

Step 11

  • add the fresh tomatoes, to the frying pan
  • add the tinned tomatoes
  • add the oregano
  • cook for 5 minutes

Step 12

  • add the tomato puree to the frying pan
  • Add the honey
  • cook for 10 mins
  • season with salt and pepper

Step 13

  • remove the aranchini from the fridge
  • heat about 21/2 cms of frying oil in a frying pan
  • Drop a breadcrumb into the oil to check its hot enough it should fizzle
  • cook the aranchini in batches, of 3 to 4 at a time
  • cook till golden brown, remove from the pan and place on kitchen paper
  • keep warm, until all the aranchini are cooked

Step 14

  • wash and finely chop the fresh parsley
  • place 2 aranchini balls on a serving plate
  • add the sauce
  • Sprinkle with parsley

Recipe Utensils

  • 1 bowl
  • 4 chopping board
  • 3 frying pan
  • 2 Garlic crusher
  • 2 grater
  • 1 jug
  • 1 kitchen paper
  • 4 large knife
  • 2 plate
  • 1 sieve
  • 1 small pan
More recipes you might like: Around the World, Starter

About arancini with tomato sauce

These delicious cheesy rice balls make the perfect starter for both family and friends or a tasty main course for brunch. Its simple to change the fillings, flavours and sauces to suit your guest or event

When to make Italian rice balls

Arancini is the perfect starter all year round, ideal for any dinner party or get together, whether it is a meal with friends or family

Who will love this dish?

This recipe is great for all the family, adults and kids will love these crispy balls of cheesy goodness, ideal for vegetarians too. You can alter the fillings and sauces to suit your family and friends perfectly

Italian dinner party starter

The perfect starter for any dinner party especially a themed Italian dinner party serve it with a pasta carbonara and a pear and chocolate strudel

Variations

If you want to change the flavours in this recipe you can add different ingredients s to the risotto before you make the arancini balls such as mushrooms, spinach, crispy pancetta, sun dried tomatoes, and peas to name but a few

You can also change the cheese filling for a different cheese such as taleggio cheese, brie or camembert. We recommend if you are swapping the cheese that you pick a cheese that melts well  

What to serve with arancini balls?

We serve these delicious crispy rice balls with an Italian tomato sauce, but if you want to try some different flavoured sauce ideas then why not try

  • Red pepper sauce
  • Creamy mushroom sauce

What is arancini?

Arancini is an Italian dish which is believed to originate from Sicily, it is made from a traditional risotto mixture which is mould around chunks of mozzarella to form a ball that is then coated in breadcrumbs and fried till golden brown. These crispy rice balls are usually served with a tomato or cream sauce

Other Italian starter recipes

Mozzarella sticks

Ricotta and tomato tartlets


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