Pistachio Arancini Recipe

Sicilian pistachio arancini cut in half on plate with whole whole behind it.

Pistachio Arancini Recipe

Another delicious variation of a classic Sicilian street food, these pistachio arancini are filled with a creamy pistachio infused béchamel sauce and cheese.

Course Antipasto, snack

Cuisine Sicilian-Italian

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 15

Servings arancini

Calories 320kcal

Author Nadia Fazio

Ingredients

For the rice

2½ cups arborio rice
5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
2 large eggs lightly beaten
salt to taste

For the filling

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
3 tbsp. grated Parmigiano cheese
salt to taste
½ cup pistachios whole, unroasted or crushed (granella di pistacchio)
70 grams mozzarella cheese cut into cubes

To assemble and fry

2 large eggs
1 cup unseasoned Italian breadcrumbs
2.5 liters avocado oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the rice

Pour the vegetable broth into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add rice, lower to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Transfer the rice to a large, shallow bowl or baking pan and stir in the grated Parmigiano cheese.
Let cool and refrigerate until completely chilled, overnight is ideal.
Remove from the fridge before assembling the arancini and stir in 2 beaten eggs.

Preparing the pistachio béchamel sauce

Prepare a classic béchamel sauce by melting butter over medium heat in a small sauce pan.
Whisk in flour until a paste is formed. Gradually pour in milk and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens. Do not let the milk burn.
Pour into a bowl, stir in a pinch of salt and grated Parmigiano cheese and let cool.
Grind pistachios in a blender into a coarse flour and stir into the béchamel sauce.
Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.

Assemble and fry

Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop rice into the palm of your hand and flatten it.
Place a tbsp. full of pistachio cream in the center of the rice and top with a cube of cheese.
Carefully wrap the rice around the filling and roll into a ball. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
Preparing a dredging station: beat eggs in a bowl, pour breadcrumbs into a second bowl.
Dredge the arancini first in the egg wash, allowing excess to drip off, then completely coat in the breadcrumbs.
Heat avocado oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pot or your deep fryer according to manufacturer's instructions. I fill my top halfway to the top.
When the oil is hot, fry a few arancini at a time until they are golden, about 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined tray to absorb excess oil.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations

-Arancini may be made with leftover risotto.
-For a non-vegetarian variation, try adding a cube or prosciutto cotto or mortadella in the center.
-Use a variety of cheese that melts well such as mozzarella; caciocavallo or scamorza.
-For mini arancini (half the size) use a ¼ cup measuring cup and add ½ the filling suggested.

Tips

-I use a ½ cup measure to make even sized arancini.
-When assembling the arancini, lightly wet your hands to prevent the rice from sticking onto your hand.
-I assemble all the arancini first, then dredge them egg wash and breadcrumbs.

Make Ahead

-Cook the rice a day ahead and refrigerate. This is recommended as the completely chilled rice is easier to handle.
-Prepare the béchamel a day ahead and refrigerate it.
-The arancini can be completely assembled a day ahead, refrigerated and fried the following day before serving.

Storage

Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven before serving.

To Freeze

Already fried arancini may be frozen. Let cool completely and place in an airtight container with parchment paper separating arancini. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven.

Nutrition