Serves: 5
Total Calories: 734

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh peas, broiled
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups rice
4 eggs, beaten (divided in half)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
flour
bread crumbs
salt and pepper
oil for frying
orange leaves (optional, as garnish)

Begin by preparing the filling:

Sauté onion and garlic in hot olive oil until onions are translucent. Stir in the ground beef, continue cooking until beef is well browned, and then stir in the wine. Cook till wine is evaporated. Dilute the tomato paste in a ladle of warm water and stir it into the beef mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for a couple of hours, adding more warm water or broth as necessary to keep it from drying out.
While the meat's cooking, simmer the peas until they're tender. Then remove, drain, and let them cool. Dice the mozzarella into half-inch cubes and combine it with the cool peas.
Another thing to do while the meat is cooking is prepare the rice: boil it in abundant, lightly salted water, and while it's cooking lightly beat two of the eggs. When the rice is done drain it. Transfer it into a bowl, let it cool slightly, and stir in the beaten eggs and grated cheese. Let it finish cooling. Lightly beat the remaining eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350 Next, make the first arancino by taking a heaping tablespoon of rice mixture into the palm of your hand and make an indentation in the center. Fill indentation with ground beef mixtur, a few peas and mozzarella cubes. Carefully wrap the rice around the filling so that the filling ends up in the center of the rice ball. Pack the rice ball fairly tightly with your hands. Roll the arancino in flour, dredge it in the beaten egg, roll it well in the breadcrumbs, and fry it in abundant hot oil. While it's cooking begin with the next, and when the one that's frying has become a golden brown drain it on absorbent paper. When you have finished frying all your arancini, heat them through in the oven for five minutes, decorate them with the orange leaves if you choose to, and serve them piping hot.


-In deserts, panna cotta add....powdered sugar almost to a boil in a heavy saucepan. (Do not boil) Add the do not boil part
-Basic butter cream sauce add in the description... This is a great sauce to serve over any pasta or to saute with vegetables and/or shrimp.
a-dd to foccacia description...Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Add any other desired toppings. Let rise for about 15 min.
-Add this to the end of the meat sauce description.....This is a fairly thick sauce so be sure to add some beef broth to desired consistency.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 5
Total Calories: 734
Calories from Fat: 308

More Recipes from the Cook'n Italian Cookbook:
Arancini
Artichoke Dip
Bruschetta with Basil
Calamaro Salad
French Toast-Italian style
Italian Fritters
Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil
Tuna in Rolled Red Peppers
Vegetable Bread Puffs