Saffron Arancini with Sausage

These Saffron Arancini with Sausage are are creamy and flavourful on the inside, and crispy on the outside: you’ve got to try them!

I’ve loved risotto from the first time I ordered a simple white wine risotto and was immediately hooked. It’s hearty, creamy, flavourful, and satisfying. It checks many of the same boxes as a delicious pasta dish and goes beautifully with Italian sausage which is why I’ve chosen to pair them in this dish.

Arancini (or Arancine singular) are beautiful stuffed rice balls that originated in the south of Italy in Sicily. I was introduced to Arancini for the first time when a friend ordered it as an appetizer at a lovely Italian restaurant. I had no idea that so much flavour could be packed into what is essentially a fried ball of rice. For years I ordered arancini at restaurants, but until recently it didn’t occur to me to make it myself. When I finally did I realized they are not only delicious, but simple to make as well!

These Saffron Arancini with Sausage are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside . The caramelized sausage, garlic and sundried tomato filling is complimented by the creamy rice, sharp parmesan, and tangy lemon in the risotto. This savoury smooth filling contrasts perfectly with the crispy golden breaded outside of these delicious morsels.

The Arancini are perfect on their own, but are also delicious when served alongside my homemade marinara sauce . They are delicious as a meal or served as an appetizer or finger food at a party. I promise that once you try this recipe it will change the way you think about rice! Best of all, if you prepare the risotto in the Instant Pot, this delicious dish can be on your table in 45 minutes!

TOTAL TIME

• Preparation Time – 5 minutes
• Cooking Time – 40 minutes
• Total Time – 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR SAFFRON ARANCINI WITH SAUSAGE

All the ingredients for this dish are easy to source from any local grocer.

Saffron Risotto

• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 Large onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup White Wine
• 4 cups Chicken Broth, preferably homemade
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
• Lemon Zest, if desired

Sausage Filling

• 3 Italian Sausages
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 Onion
• 2 Sundried Tomatoes
• 1/2 Lemon
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Arancini

• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Saffron Risotto Recipe

WHAT IS ARBORIO RICE?

Arborio rice is a short grain Italian rice that is often used to make risotto. It has a high starch content and absorbs less liquid, resulting in a sticky, creamy risotto.

WHAT IS SAFFRON?

Saffron is a beautiful spice harvested from the stamen of the Saffron Crocus flower. It is harvested by hand in the fall when the it blooms. It’s earthy flavour adds an amazing depth to this dish. More information about this beautiful spice can be found here.

CAN I USE OLD WINE IN MY LEMON SAFFRON RISOTTO?

I often hear people say that they have an open bottle that’s starting to go off, so they’ll just use it for cooking. I don’t understand this. White wine imparts beautiful flavour to this meal, so why would you use a bottle that’s starting to sour? You wouldn’t! Although this risotto only uses a quarter cup of wine, the flavour is still integral to the dish. That said, you certainly don’t need to buy an expensive bottle specifically for this meal. Use something you enjoy the taste of, because that is the flavour that will be imparted to your dish.

CAN I MAKE THIS VEGETARIAN?

If you’d like to make these arancini vegetarian, simply cook the risotto with vegetable stock and stuff them with only the garlic and sundried tomato mixture. They will be different of course, but still tasty.

SHOULD I RINSE MY ARBORIO RICE BEFORE COOKING?

Unlike regular cooked rice, you should never ever rinse your rice before cooking risotto! Rinsing rice reduces its starch content and prevents it from sticking. Risotto rice needs to maintain it’s sticky consistency as it’s key to creating a a creamy dish.

HOW SHOULD I SERVE MY ARANCINI?

I like to serve them on their own, or with a simple marinara sauce as either an appetizer or a main. If you’d like to serve them as part of a larger meal they would work beautifully with a simple salad or bright minestrone soup. I would suggest that any side be fresh and bright to offset the fried arancini balls. I also think they would be wonderful served as finger food at a party with or without marinara on the side.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF RICE?

Carnaroli is an excellent substitute for Arborio rice. It is also a short grained Italian rice with a high starch content that doesn’t absorb too much liquid and keeps it’s shape well in the risotto.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHEESE IN THE RISOTTO?

The risotto works best with a salty, hard cheese. Pecorino and Grana Padano would both work as substitutes for Parmesan.

CAN I USE PREPACKAGED LEMON JUICE INSTEAD OF FRESH LEMON?

Prepackaged lemon juice can be used in some meals without any ill effect: this is not one of those meals. Lemon juice is the one of the stars of the risotto in these delicious arancini, so you absolutely need to use freshly squeezed lemon in this pasta.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MEAT?

If you’d like, you could easily substitute ground beef or pancetta for the sausage in this recipe.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE A DIFFERENT SPICE FOR SAFFRON?

Some recipes state that Turmeric can be substituted for Saffron as it will add a similar yellow colour to your rice. Although Turmeric will colour your rice like Saffron, it will not add the earthy bitterness imparted by this beautiful spice. Don’t use a substitution.

CAN I USE SEASONED BREADCRUMBS?

I always buy plain breadcrumbs because I like to be able to season food to my own liking, and I find the notion of shelf stable cheese (which is normally in seasoned breadcrumbs) unpleasant. I would recommend using unseasoned breadcrumbs.

EQUIPMENT FOR SAFFRON ARANCINI WITH SAUSAGE

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make Saffron Arancini with Sausage:

• Instant Pot – I find the Instant Pot to be a wonderful tool for the preparation of risotto. It allows me to walk away while it’s cooking without concern, and it greatly reduces the cooking time while still producing a creamy risotto . I highly recommend purchasing this tool if you like to make risotto.

• Chef’s Knife

• Cutting Board

• Mortar and Pestle

• Cookie scoop (3 tbsp) – I strongly recommend a cookie scoop in order to make equally sized arancini. I love my OXO cookie scoop so much that I own it in three sizes. I use the 3 tbsp large scoop in this recipe.

• Wooden Spoon

• Heavy Bottomed Pan – My most used pan by far is my Le Creuset Braising Pan. It is made of heavy cast iron and coated in ceramic as all Le Creuset cast iron pans are. It’s large and deep which makes it perfect for everything from frying to making sauces. I can’t recommend it enough.

COOKING DIRECTIONS

If you follow a few simple rules your Saffron Arancini with Sausage will turn out perfectly the first time!

1. Use real saffron in your risotto and never rinse your rice.
2. Caramelize the sausage mixture.
3. Form the balls with damp hands: this will prevent the rice from sticking to you.

MAKE AHEAD STORAGE

You can make the risotto up to three days in advance for this recipe.

I would strongly recommend eating these arancini fresh if at all possible.

FINISHED DISH

Enjoy these delicious Saffron Arancini with Sausage!

OTHER DISHES WITH SAFFRON

Black Bean Enchiladas with Saffron Rice

Instant Pot Lemon Saffron Risotto

OTHER DISHES WITH SAUSAGE

Satisfying Polish Sausage and Potato with Roasted Cauliflower

Spicy Sausage Pizza

Pesto Sausage Ravioli Recipe

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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