When I was a kid, I went over to my Sicilian friend’s house and walked into the kitchen just as his mom was making these golden, crispy rice balls, arancini. I had never seen anything like it. She stuffed them with meat, peas, and mozzarella, then fried them to perfection. One bite and I was hooked. I ran home and asked my mom if she knew what they were, and of course, she did. That weekend, we made them together in our Calabrese kitchen, and it became a family tradition.

Now, every time we make arancini, I think of that moment. How food connects memories, cultures, and families.
And these days, we enjoy them with a glass of Gratsi Red just to make the moment even better.

STEP 1

Prep: Cook rice and let cool. In a bowl, mix rice with 2 eggs and a pinch of salt. Set aside. Prepare all vegetables.

STEP 2

Filling: In a pan, heat olive oil. Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and parsley with salt and pepper. Add ground meat if using, cook through, then deglaze with red wine. Once evaporated, stir in peas and marinara. Simmer for a few minutes, then cool.

STEP 3

Form Arancini: Flatten a handful of rice in your palm, add 1 tbsp filling and a few mozzarella cubes, then shape into a ball. Dip each ball in the remaining 2 eggs mixed with milk, then coat in breadcrumbs.

STEP 4

Fry: Heat frying oil over medium heat. Fry arancini in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

STEP 5

Serve warm with marinara sauce on the side. Enjoy!