SPINACH ARANCINI (RICE BALLS)
I used to live in Sicily, and these were a favorite of mine! 'Arancini' means 'Little Oranges' in Italian, named so because the little breaded rice balls resemble small oranges so much. While so many versions include only cheeses and meats, this version is a delightful combination of white cheese and spinach. We love it! This can be made the night or a couple of days ahead of time, and cooked at the last minute for a surprising treat for guests. I like to serve mine on a bed of fresh Radicchio. Some people enjoy dipping them into Marinara or sour cream based dips. Enjoy!
Provided by NM Dawn
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Cheese
Time 5h25m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Bring 4 cups chicken broth and saffron threads to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in Arborio rice, return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, yet still a little firm, about 16 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook for one minute, then stir in garlic, and continue cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine, spinach, and butter, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and fold in cooked rice and Parmesan cheese; cook a few minutes until the mixture is a little stiff. Spread onto a baking sheet, and cool in the refrigerator until completely cold, 4 hours to overnight.
- Once the rice mixture has cooled, form the arancini by enclosing a cube of mozzarella cheese in about 3 tablespoons of the rice to form a 1 inch ball; set aside. When you have finished making the balls, place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs into separate, shallow bowls. One-by-one, gently roll the arancini in the flour to coat, then shake off excess. Dip into beaten egg, then roll in bread crumbs; set aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or electric skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Deep fry the arancini 5 or 6 at a time in the hot oil until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Be sure to roll the arancini around with a metal spoon as they cook so they are evenly browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels, and serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 611.7 calories, Carbohydrate 66.8 g, Cholesterol 71 mg, Fat 26.6 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 20.5 g, SaturatedFat 8.4 g, Sodium 1281 mg, Sugar 3.1 g
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Mikey Fuentes
[email protected]These arancini are a bit time-consuming to make, but they're definitely worth it!
DILKA CHAMOD
[email protected]I'm not sure what I did wrong, but my arancini turned out really greasy.
Debra Revatt
[email protected]These arancini were just okay. I thought the filling was a bit too bland.
Yasir Castillo
[email protected]I love these arancini! They're so flavorful and satisfying.
Serenity Strodel
[email protected]These arancini are the perfect party food! They're easy to make ahead of time and they can be served hot or cold.
Mdsaifulislam MdSaifulislam
[email protected]I've made these arancini several times and they're always a hit! They're so easy to make and everyone loves them.
Zohoor Nazari
[email protected]These arancini were a disaster! The rice was undercooked and the filling was too salty.
Rezaul Rezaul
[email protected]I wasn't a huge fan of these arancini. I found the spinach filling to be a bit bland and the rice balls were too mushy.
James Watagain
[email protected]These arancini were really good, but I found them to be a bit too greasy. Next time I'll try baking them instead of frying them.
Valencia Elifas
[email protected]I made these arancini with brown rice instead of white rice and they were still very good! I think next time I'll try adding some other vegetables to the filling, like mushrooms or zucchini.
Krishna Prasad Adhikari
[email protected]These arancini were a bit more time-consuming to make than I expected, but they were worth it! They were so delicious.
John Townsend
[email protected]I was a bit hesitant to try these arancini because I'm not a huge fan of spinach, but they were actually really good! The spinach flavor was very subtle and the cheese filling was delicious.
Muhammad Giie
[email protected]These arancini were easy to make and turned out perfectly! I will definitely be making them again.
Toran Gurung
[email protected]I made these arancini for a party and they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them.
Aamir Awan
[email protected]These arancini were amazing! The spinach and cheese filling was flavorful and creamy, and the rice balls were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.