ALEXIA’S ARANCINI (COLOSSAL)
Meat, Appetizer
Intermediate

ALEXIA’S ARANCINI (COLOSSAL)

Crispy fried rice balls stuffed with sausage gravy, peas, fresh mozzarella, and romano—served with marinara.

"Crispy on the outside, cheesy and savory on the inside — that’s amore in every bite!" - Alexia

120 Minutes
Total Time
4
Servings
Intermediate
Level

Ingredients

  • 1 large bag long cook River rice
  • Butter (to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Olive Oil
  • Grated Romano Cheese
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 large Fresh Mozzarella Balls (cut into chunks)
  • 2 bags Shredded Mozzarella
  • 1 bag Frozen Steam Fresh Peas
  • 6 links Hot or Mild Italian Sausage (removed from casing)
  • Fresh Basil
  • 2 cans Pastene Kitchen Ready Tomatoes
  • Red Chili Flakes (to taste)
  • Cracked Black Pepper (to taste)
  • Canola Oil (for frying)
  • Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
  • Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Instructions

1

Make the Marinara Sauce

In a pan, sauté minced garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add the Pastene Kitchen Ready Tomatoes and season with garlic salt, cracked black pepper, and red chili flakes. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then fold in chopped fresh basil.

2

Prepare the Sausage Gravy

In a separate pan, add olive oil and cook the sausage (removed from casing), breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, add a few ladles of the marinara sauce and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3

Cook the Rice

Cook the rice according to package instructions. When done, let it cool, then mix in 2 eggs, grated Romano cheese, one bag of shredded mozzarella, salt, and cracked black pepper.

4

Combine the Filling

Once the sausage gravy has cooled, fold in peas, more Romano cheese, chunks of fresh mozzarella, and shredded mozzarella.

5

Form the Arancini

With wet hands, roll the rice mixture into balls. Make a small hole in each and add a tablespoon of the sausage gravy and cheese filling. Cover the filling with more rice and roll tightly into a ball shape.

6

Coat the Rice Balls

Combine Panko and Italian bread crumbs in a bowl. Roll each rice ball in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated.

7

Fry the Arancini

Pan fry the coated rice balls in canola oil until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Drain excess oil on paper towels.

8

Serve and Garnish

Top the Arancini with marinara sauce, fresh basil, and grated cheese. Serve hot!