Sicilian Arancini al Ragù (Stuffed Rice Balls)

Name: Sicilian Arancini al Ragù (Stuffed Rice Balls)
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 piece medium onion; 1 piece carrot; 1 stalk celery; 1 lb ground pork or beef; 0.5 cup dry white wine; 1 cup tomato passata; 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock; 0.5 cup frozen peas; 1 piece bay leaf; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 0.25 tsp sugar; 1.5 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice; 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock; 3 tbsp unsalted butter; 0.5 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; 200 g mozzarella; 2 large eggs; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups fine breadcrumbs; 2 to 3; 1 tsp kosher salt; 2 tbsp fresh parsley; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.5 tsp saffron threads

Crisp, golden rice croquettes filled with a meaty tomato ragù and oozing mozzarella — a classic Sicilian weekend project worth the afternoon for the layers of flavor and the hands‑on assembly.

AI image

3 hr

start to finish

1 hr

hands on

Project

difficulty

servings

6 servings

Ingredients

For the rice

1½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli riceapproximately 300 g
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stockkept hot on the stove
3 tbsp unsalted butterdivided
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggianoabout 50 g

For the filling & assembly

200 g mozzarellacut into 12 small cubes
2 large eggsbeaten
1 cup all-purpose flourfor dredging
2 cups fine breadcrumbsabout 200 g

For frying & finishing

2 to 3quarts vegetable oil for deep frying (enough for 2–3 in. depth)
1 tsp kosher saltto season after frying

For garnish

2 tbsp fresh parsleyfinely chopped

½ tsp black pepper

Optional

½ tsp saffron threadssteep in 2 tbsp hot stock and add to rice for color/aroma

Contains gluten, dairy, egg. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

720 kcal30g protein75g carbs33g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and sweat until soft and translucent.
This soffritto is the flavor base — cook gently so it doesn't brown.
Add the ground pork or beef and break it up with a spoon; cook until no longer pink.
Pour in the white wine and simmer until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in the tomato passata, 1 cup stock, bay leaf, salt, pepper and sugar (if using) and bring to a gentle simmer.
Partially cover the pan and simmer the ragù gently, stirring occasionally.
A long gentle simmer concentrates flavor; add a splash more stock if it looks too dry.
Stir in the frozen peas and continue simmering until peas are tender and the sauce is thickened.
Remove the bay leaf, taste the ragù and adjust seasoning; keep warm off the heat.
Bring the 4 cups of stock to a simmer in a separate pot and keep it hot.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Add the rice and toast, stirring, until the grains are glossy and slightly translucent at the edges.
Cook the rice risotto-style: add a ladle (about 1/2 cup) of hot stock, stir until absorbed, and repeat until rice is al dente.
If using saffron, add the steeped saffron and its liquid with one of the early ladles of stock.
Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; season to taste.
Spread the cooked rice in a shallow tray or baking sheet to cool to room temperature.
Cooling the rice makes it easier to form; do not refrigerate hot rice.
Cut the mozzarella into 12 small cubes.
Set up three shallow bowls: flour seasoned with a pinch of salt, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs.
With wet hands, take about 2 tablespoons of cooled rice and flatten it into a disk in your palm.
Place one cube of mozzarella and about 1 teaspoon of ragù in the center of the rice disk.
Enclose the filling with rice and roll into a tight ball about the size of a golf ball, repeat to make 12 arancini.
Work gently but firmly to prevent gaps; a slightly sticky rice is easier to seal.
Dredge each ball in flour, shake off excess, dip in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs to coat evenly.
Arrange the breaded arancini on a tray and chill in the refrigerator to firm up.
Chilling helps them keep their shape while frying.
Pour vegetable oil into a heavy pot to 2–3 inches depth and heat to 350°F (175°C).
If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small breadcrumb — it should sizzle and brown in about 30–40 seconds.
Fry the arancini in batches, turning as needed, until evenly deep golden brown.
Do not overcrowd the pot; keep oil temperature steady between batches.
Transfer fried arancini to a paper-towel-lined tray and season with a light sprinkle of salt.
Serve warm garnished with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Worth knowing

Make the ragù a day ahead — it keeps well and deepens in flavor; reheat before filling.
If you prefer a lighter finish, bake arancini at 400°F (200°C) on an oiled sheet for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until golden.
Use cold mozzarella or smoked provola for a more characteristic flavor; very soft cheese can leak — cut into firm cubes.
Test oil temperature with a wooden spoon: if small bubbles form steadily around the handle, the oil is hot enough.
Leftover arancini refrigerate 3 days or freeze individually on a tray then bag for up to 1 month; reheat from frozen in a 375°F (190°C) oven until hot.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Meal prepKid friendly

More Southern Italian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Southern Italian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe.