Sicilian Rice Balls (Arancini)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery, stirring now and then, until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a minute to cook off the raw alcohol smell, then stir in the passata, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick, then stir in the peas for the last 5 minutes just to warm through. Let the ragù cool while you cook the rice.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 250 g ground beef
• 100 ml white wine
• 400 g tomato passata
• 100 g frozen peas
• to taste salt and pepper

✅ Done when: the sauce is thick enough to sit on a spoon without watery liquid pooling around it

Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and keep it hot; if using saffron, soak the threads in a small ladle of the hot broth to release their colour. Put the rice in a wide heavy pot and add the hot broth gradually, one ladle at a time, stirring often like a simple risotto, until the rice is tender and has absorbed almost all the liquid, about 18 minutes. Keep it firmer and thicker than a normal risotto, since it needs to hold its shape later. Off the heat, stir in the saffron broth, butter, egg yolks and grated cheese until glossy and golden, then season with salt.

• 400 g rice
• 1 litre broth
• 1 pinch saffron
• 50 g butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 50 g grated cheese

✅ Done when: the rice is tender but still slightly firm at the core, thick enough to clump together rather than spread on the plate