Crumbs' Parsley Pesto Aranchini Balls
For a traditional Italian delicacy, it’s difficult to find one as simple and satisfying as arancini balls. With a beautiful oozing centre of fragrant pesto, wrapped in risotto made from Bertolli with Butter and Olive Oli, aborio rice, chicken stock and parmesan, and coated in a beautifully-crispy Panko breadcrumb batter, this dish is bound to impress your friends as a snack or a main dish – delizioso!
Prep time20 minutes
4 portions
Ingredients
Risotto
- small bunch spring onions
- 20 grams Bertolli Margarine Spread
- 250 grams Arborio rice
- 800 ml chicken stock boiled
- 15 grams Parmesan grated
Pesto
- large bunch parsley
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 50 grams toasted almonds
- virgin olive oil add to required consistency
Arancini
- 60 grams mozzarella chopped into cubes
- 1 egg
- 170 grams plain flour
- water
- panko breadcrumbs
- oil to fry
Nutritional facts
| Energy (kcal) | 554 kcal |
| Energy (kJ) | 2320 kJ |
| Protein (g) | 19.1 g |
| Carbohydrate incl. fibre (g) | 88.3 g |
| Carbohydrate excl. fibre (g) | 83.2 g |
| Sugar (g) | 1.6 g |
| Fibre (g) | 5.1 g |
| Fat (g) | 13.5 g |
| Saturated fat (g) | 3.7 g |
| Unsaturated fat (g) | 8.4 g |
| Monounsaturated fat (g) | 6.1 g |
| Polyunsaturated fat (g) | 2.4 g |
| Trans fat (g) | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 68 mg |
| Sodium (mg) | 915 mg |
| Salt (g) | 2.29 g |
| Vitamin A (IU) | 843 IU |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 24.9 mg |
| Calcium (mg) | 207 mg |
| Iron (mg) | 5.03 mg |
| Potassium (mg) | 473 mg |
Instructions
- Place the Bertolli margarine spread in a large saucepan over the heat. Once it’s melted fry the spring onions until translucent.
- Add the rice, and fry until each grain is covered in oil.
- Slowly add hot stock, spoonful by spoonful until it’s all absorbed.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in a flat bowl and cool quickly in the fridge.
- Whilst it is cooling, make the pesto.
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until they are a paste.
- Add enough olive oil so the paste is glossy and smooth (roughly 2 tbsps).
- Prepare the batter by mixing the flour and egg in a bowl. Add enough water to make the solution less dough-y and more like pancake batter.
- Pour out the breadcrumbs on to a large plate.
- Once the rice is cooled, stir in the mozzarella.
- Take a handful of rice, roll into a loose ball and spoon some pesto into the middle. Fold the ball around it a little and plug the gap with a little more rice.
- Place each ball in the batter, roll it in the breadcrumbs and put on a clean plate.
- Fill a large pan a third high with vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot – test by seeing if it sizzles when you throw a breadcrumb in it – add a batch of the arancini. Fry till golden and place on a paper towel, and repeat with the next batch.
- Serve!
