Arancini with Pancetta and Garlic Sauce
A delicious Italian dish made with risotto that's fried into delicious bite-sized balls and served with a rich tomato sauce! Inspired by the novel, The Four Winds!
Ingredients
For the Risotto:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely diced onion
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 3 - 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Arancini:
- 4 oz Mozzarella chopped into 1/2” to 3/4” cubes
- 1 cup Panko
- 1 cup Flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- Canola oil for frying
For the Garlic and Pancetta Sauce:
- 3 oz pancetta chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
For the Risotto:
- In a 2-quart pot, heat the chicken broth so that it is warm for the risotto making.
- Meanwhile, in a 4-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the onion.
- Cook until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add in the rice.
- Stir to coat the rice completely in the oil and allow to cook, stirring frequently, until the rice turns fragrant and begins to turn translucent on the edges. It will also begin to make a popping sound. Add in the wine.
- Cook until the wine is almost completely absorbed by the rice, but some moisture remains.
- Ladle in 1 cup of the warm broth and cook until the broth is almost completely absorbed (about 5 minutes). Be sure to stir frequently to prevent sticking to the pan.
- Ladle in 1 more cup of warm broth and repeat.
- Ladle in the last cup of broth and repeat.
- Taste test- the risotto should be creamy but still have a bite to it (al dente). If it is not quite al dente yet, add 1/2 cup more of broth and repeat step 6.
- Remove from heat and add in the butter and Parmesan. Stir until the butter and cheese has melted and the risotto is creamy.
- Spread into a pan and allow to cool for 10 minutes before covering and cooling completely in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
For the Arancini:
- Place the panko, flour, and eggs into 3 separate shallow dishes.
- Using an ice cream scoop (about 2 tbsp), scoop the cold risotto into your palm.
- Place one piece of mozzarella in the center and form a ball around the cheese with the risotto.
- Dip the ball into the flour first, covering all sides. Repeat with the egg and then the panko.
- Set on a parchment lined pan and continue until all the risotto is gone.
- Place the pan of prepared arancini in the freezer for 10 minutes, while you heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F. (Heat in a large pan or in a deep fryer.)
- Fry the arancini for 3-4 minutes, turning halfway through if the oil doesn’t cover the entire ball.
- Remove carefully with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack until all arancini are cooked.
For the Pancetta and Garlic Sauce:
- Open the can of San Marzano tomatoes and pour the juice into a bowl. Over a separate bowl, take one tomato at a time and squeeze until the tomato's juice and seeds release into the bowl. (Be careful, this is messy and could get on clothing!) Take the remaining tomato flesh and place into the first bowl with the tomato juice. Repeat with all tomatoes. You want to "drain" the tomatoes of seeds and watery juice in this step so that your sauce isn't too watery or filled with seeds.
- Using a hand blender, puree the tomatoes until smooth. Add in the salt, oregano, and olive oil and mix well.
- Set the tomato sauce aside.
- In a saute pan, cook the chopped pancetta until crisp.
- Add in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Ladle the tomato sauce onto a plate and top with the desired number of arancini. Serve immediately.
