Line School: How to Make Arancini (a.k.a.Fried, Cheesy Risotto Ball)

“Arancini are one of those dishes everyone seems to know and love,” says Anthony Sitek, chef/owner of Rosie’s Italian in Cincinnati. “They’re very versatile and great for showcasing different flavors – we like to use pesto, cheese and red sauce for ours. Honestly, who doesn’t love that combo?”

Even research shows the fried, cheesy risotto balls are trending; Technomic predicted a 37% increase in menu growth over the next four years. The filling possibilities don’t stop at just cheese – Sitek has stuffed arancini with ground meat or Bolognese, peas, pancetta or just the cheese blend (the most important part for creating that stick to hold everything together).

Here’s how his team makes the pesto version.

Step 1: Make the Risotto

“First, we make the risotto. We sweat down really fine diced onions, then add the arborio rice to toast it. Then we add the white wine, reduce that down, then add our homemade chicken stock a little at a time. We’re looking for that al dente feel.”

Step 2: Stir in the Fillings and Cheese

“Once the risotto’s cooked, pull it off the heat. Then, when it’s cooled down a bit, we add in our nut-free basil pesto – we want to make sure it gets that vibrant green color – like blooming trees. Then we fold in more shredded (whole milk) mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses to make sure it’s sticky and the balls hold together. If you wanted to add other fillings instead of pesto, like Bolognese or ground meat and peas, you could add this now, but you still need a lot of cheese.”

Step 3: Cool Completely

“Next, we cool everything down completely. We spread out [the green risotto] completely flat on large sheet trays, and put them in the walk-in to make sure the rice stops cooking. If you have the time, it’s better to do this the day before forming the arancini, so everything is super sticky and holds together better during frying.”

Step 4: Shape, Bread and Fry

“We shape our arancini in about ounce-and-a-half portions – ours are smaller in size, so we serve seven in a portion. Then we use a classic, three-step breading process: flour, egg wash and a panko-Italian breadcrumb mix.”

Step 5: Fry and Serve

“We fry the arancini to order until golden and crisp. They fry up really quickly – it’s just the prep process that takes longer. Our arancini comes with our signature, really simple, roasted tomato sauce (we call it ‘Gracie’s Gravy’) that we make with Alta Cucina tomatoes from California (they’re sweet like San Marzano tomatoes), lots of garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. But you could serve arancini with any other sauce of choice.”

Sitek sources the arborio rice, mozzarella, Parmesan and Alta Cucina tomatoes from US Foods® for his arancini. Click here to download and order directly through US Foods’ MOXē® ordering app.