Inspired by My Trip to Italy 🇮🇹 | Homemade Sicilian Arancini Two Ways

After my recent trip to Italy, I knew I had to recreate one of the many delicious foods we tried:  Arancini! These crispy, golden Italian rice balls are a Sicilian specialty filled with delicious surprises inside. Today I'm making two versions: a traditional Sicilian-style arancini with beef, peas, tomato and mozzarella, and a mushroom truffle version with wild mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, prosciutto, fontina and truffle oil. From the creamy Arborio rice to the crunchy golden breadcrumb coating, every bite is packed with flavor. Join me in my real-life kitchen as I show you step-by-step how I make these incredible arancini from scratch. 👇 FULL RECIPES BELOW 👇 ARANCINI RICE • 2 cups Arborio rice• 5 cups chicken broth (or more as needed)• 3 tbsp butter• 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated• 2 egg yolks• Salt and pepper to taste Cook rice in stock until creamy and tender. Stir in butter, Pecorino Romano, salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in egg yolks. Spread onto a sheet pan and cool completely before assembling. TRADITIONAL SICILIAN ARANCINI FILLING • 1 tbsp olive oil• 1 sweet onion, diced• 1 lb ground beef• 2 cloves garlic, minced• 2–3 tbsp tomato paste• 1 cup crushed tomatoes• 1/4 cup dry white wine• 1/2 cup fresh peas• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed• Salt and pepper to taste Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion until softened. Add ground beef and cook until browned, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper throughout the cooking process. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add white wine and cook until evaporated. Add crushed tomatoes and continue cooking until thick and most of the moisture has cooked out. Add peas and cook for a few minutes more. Allow filling to cool completely. Note: in my video, i made extra filling to use for snother meal but i adapted the written filling recipe to yield a little less filling. MUSHROOM TRUFFLE ARANCINI FILLING • 1 tbsp olive oil• 1 sweet onion, diced• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped• 8 oz wild mushrooms, chopped• 2 oz prosciutto, diced• 2 cloves garlic, minced• 1/4 cup dry white wine• 1 tsp dried thyme• 8 oz fontina cheese, cubed• Salt and pepper to taste Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion until softened. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and become deeply caramelized. Season lightly with salt and pepper throughout the cooking process. Add prosciutto and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add white wine and cook until completely evaporated. Stir in dried thyme and continue cooking until the mixture is rich and concentrated with no excess moisture remaining. Allow filling to cool completely. BREADING • Flour• Beaten eggs• Italian breadcrumbs ASSEMBLY Fill the rice with your desired filling and cheese. Shape into balls. Coat in flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Chill briefly before frying. Note: Ii made very large trattoria style arancini. 2 cups of raw rice yielded 6 large. You can make them smaller if you prefer. FRYING Heat corn oil to 350°F. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Any neutral oil such as corn, vegetable or canola oil will work. TO FINISH Traditional Sicilian:• Pecorino Romano Mushroom Truffle:• Chopped parsley• Pecorino Romano• Light drizzle of truffle oil Which would you choose? 🥩 Traditional Sicilian🍄 Mushroom Truffle Thanks for cooking with me! ❤️ LisaFrom Toffee to Table