Theo Randall - The Italian Pantry: 10 Ingredients, 100 Recipes – Showcasing the Best of Italian Home Cooking

Arancini are a great way to use up leftover risotto but, in reality, there is never any risotto left So, instead, I tend to make a batch of risotto and freeze it in Ziplock bags, ready and waiting for when I have friends over and need to make a tasty bite. Saffron risotto is always a joy to make both the colour and the flavour are so special. I tend to use quite a lot of saffron, but if you think that you might find the flavour too much, reduce the amount slightly. I have used vegetable stock in the recipe, but the risotto is delicious made with chicken stock instead.

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 leek, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

400g (14oz) carnaroli rice

about 1.5 litres (52fl oz) hot vegetable stock (see above)

1g best-quality saffron

50g (1oz) butter

100g (3oz) parmesan, grated

250g (9oz) baby spinach leaves

200g (7oz) ricotta

2 eggs

2 tablespoons whole milk

200g (7oz) dried breadcrumbs

150g (5oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

500ml (17fl oz) sunflower oil

First, make the stock. Place all ingredients into a large saucepan with 3 litres (105fl oz) of cold water. Place the pan over a high heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to infuse the flavours. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and discard them, then keep the stock to one side until youre ready to make the risotto.

To make the risotto, set a straight-sided saucepan over a mediumhot heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and celery and cook for 3 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Tip in the carnaroli rice and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Begin adding the vegetable stock, a ladleful at a time, until the rice is covered by about 2.5cm (1in) of stock. Add the saffron to the pan and keep adding stock, stirring from time to time, for about 15 minutes, until the rice is al dente. (Store any leftover stock in the freezer.) Stir through the butter and parmesan and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Pour the risotto on to a large tray and allow it to cool completely.

While the risotto is cooling, make the filling. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over a high heat. Add the spinach and blanch for 1 minute, then drain it in a colander. Leave it to cool for a few minutes, then squeeze out all the excess water. Finely chop the spinach, then mix it in a bowl with the ricotta and some salt and pepper. Refrigerate the risotto until needed.

Using a large tablespoon, scoop a generous spoonful of the cooled risotto mixture into the middle of your palm. Press it down to create a flat round of rice, then add 1 teaspoon of the spinach and ricotta filling to the middle of the rice. Cup your hand so that the risotto comes up around the filling, then seal it gently with your fingers, so the filling is completely engulfed by the risotto if needed, add a bit more rice. Roll the filled rice gently between your hands to form a clementine-sized ball. Repeat this method until you have used up all the saffron risotto and spinach and ricotta filling (you should get about 14 balls in total). Place the balls on a baking sheet in the fridge and leave them to chill and firm up for about 30 minutes.

Whisk the eggs with the milk in a shallow bowl until combined. Add the breadcrumbs to a large dinner plate and the flour to another. Take one of the risotto balls and, using just one of your hands, roll it in the flour to coat, then roll it in the egg wash, then finally in the breadcrumbs. Ensure the arancino is completely coated in the breadcrumbs, then set it back on the tray. Repeat this process until all the balls are coated.

Pour the sunflower oil into a small/medium, straight-sided saucepan. Place it over a mediumhigh heat and bring it to 180C/350F on a cooking thermometer (alternatively, drop a few breadcrumbs into the oil if they sizzle and turn golden within 30 seconds, the oil is ready). Cook 3 or 4 arancini at a time (depending on how many will fit in your pan) for about 3 minutes, turning carefully, until the outsides have turned an even, golden-brown colour. Carefully remove the arancini from the oil with a slotted spoon and set them aside on kitchen paper while you fry the remainder. Leave the last batch to drain and cool for about 3 minutes before serving they will be very hot in the middle. Serve as a canap or as a first course.

This has got to be one of the most delicious and satisfying pasta soups to make and eat. Its a classic dish from Emilia-Romagna. The best tool to use to shape the dough is a potato ricer. It takes a bit of effort to push the dough through the holes, but the end product tastes delicious and, like many Italian dishes, leaves you thinking, How can something taste so delicious yet be so simple?

4 chicken drumsticks or wings

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 leek, roughly chopped

2 parsley sprigs

1 teaspoon sea salt

200g (7oz) dried breadcrumbs

200g (7oz) parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

3 eggs

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

zest of 1 lemon

plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

First, make the broth. Place all ingredients into a large saucepan with 3 litres (105fl oz) of cold water and place the pan over a high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, skimming off any foam as it rises to the top, then turn down the heat and leave the broth to simmer for 60 minutes to develop its flavour. Remove the chicken and the vegetables with a slotted spoon, then pour the broth through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Set aside. (Keep the chicken meat for a chicken sandwich and discard the bones and the veg.)

To make the passatelli, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan and eggs in a large bowl, then add a little grating of nutmeg (not too much) and the lemon zest. Mix everything together with your hands and work the dough so that it becomes tight and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball then wrap it in cling film (plastic wrap) and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes this will help the passatelli hold together during cooking.

Meanwhile, grab a baking sheet or tray and lightly dust it with flour. Cut the chilled dough into quarters and roll each quarter into a ball. Place each ball into a potato ricer that has large holes, then push down the handle and let the passatelli fall through the holes into the floured tray below. Repeat until you have used all the dough, then place the tray of passatelli in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Bring the broth to a simmer over a medium heat, then carefully drop in the passatelli. Cook until the passatelli rise to the surface of the broth. Remove from the heat and serve in hot bowls with a little extra parmesan on top.

This dish was on the menu at Theos Simple Italian in Kensington sadly, the restaurant is no longer, but the dish is still very much a classic. The richness of the meatballs with the vibrant tomato sauce is very comforting and its a perfect dish to serve to a large gathering. I love the addition of the chopped burrata, as it makes the tomato sauce taste even sweeter and adds a soft, creamy texture. Scale the quantities up or down as required.