When you think of Sicily, one of the things that immediately comes to mind is the arancino.
Arancino, in prural arancini, are Italian rice balls that are a mainstay of Sicilian cuisine. The most common fillings are ragù (meat or mince cooked slowly at low temperature with tomato sauce and spices), mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, peas or ham.
Due to the inclusion of saffron, the product’s origin dates back to the early mediaeval or Arab
times. Indeed, Frederick II of Svevia, who adored Palermo and was driven to battles and journeys because of Christianity, liked to travel with the crispy arancini by his side.
Indeed, claiming the origins of the arancino or arancina entails a risk, for every city in Sicily claims to have given birth to this delicacy; in Catania, for example, people are certain to have given birth to this delicacy. The day of arancina/arancino in Palermo and surrounding locations is December 13, the feast of Saint Lucia; on this day, the traditional dessert of boiled wheat and ricotta, the cucca, is also offered.
There are conventional arancini with stewed pig ragu (meat sauce) and peas or butter and béchamel; then there are more inventive ones with pistachios, sepia, eggplant or Norma, mushrooms and bacon, or ricotta, mint, and Piacentino cheese from Enna. You may even get sweet ones made especially for kids, with a smaller size and a circular shape and filled with chocolate or ricotta cream. These delicious, fried rice balls are rolled in sugar and cinnamon and are a great delicacy!
Originally, arancino was born in a spherical shape, precisely because of the similarity with an orange. In eastern Sicily, on the other hand, has taken on a conical shape over time.
What do you serve Arancini with?
There are many choices to combine and add to enhance flavour of possible main dishes
for your dinners!
Add Italian sauces to them, such as tomato Passata type.
Arancini balls are lovely tiny morsels, and an excellent homemade sauce like this Tray-baked tomato
sauce is one of the tastiest side dishes to offer with them.
This recipe, made with fresh oregano and basil, has a deep and full flavour that will take them to the next level. In fact, you should prepare a double batch since this combination
is sure to leave you wanting more!
Spinach wilted turn your arancini to the next level.
What should you serve these yummy rice balls with? Why not serve your rice balls alongside a platter of
wilted spinach?
This quick and easy side dish can be made in just 5 minutes and will boost the nutritional content
as well as the flavour.
Salad with Parmigiano, the most common combination among Italians.
Keeping with the vegetable theme, eggplant parmigiana is a popular Italian dish that may be
served as a main course following the arancini balls. Serve the risotto balls as a main course and
the eggplant as a side dish.
With all that gooey, cheesy goodness, you’ll be in seventh heaven; and the mix of Italian herbs in
the parmigiana paired alongside your already-delicious arancini makes for an exceptional dinner
combo.
Our Arancini are stuffed with a variety of top quality Italian ingredients such as: ham, mozzarella, nduja, bolognese sauce, spinach, sausage, friarielli, aubergines, mushroom, pistachios, gorgonzola cheese, swordfish, squid, salmon.
Arancine stuffed with Bolgnese sauce
Arancine spinach and mozzarella
Arancini Sausage, Friarielli and mozzarella
Arancini stuffed with aubergines and mozzarella
Arancine mushrooms and mozzarella
Arancini with pistachios and mozzarella
Arancine sausage and gorgonzola
Arancine swordfish and aubergines
Get delighted with these Sicilian specialties. We deliver to all UK.
We also have other mouth-watering Italian specialties such as, Lasagna, Cannelloni, Parmigiana and Panini. Made with love as tradition teaches.