Panzarotti (deep-fried pizza turnovers)
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Historically, it was rare to have an oven at home and food to be baked was brought to the baker to be placed in the oven. Everyone could deep-fry however, so fried pizza was more accessible than baked pizza. One only needs to see the inevitable crowd of people around a shop making panzarotti to witness its universal appeal. When a hot panzarotto, wrapped in paper, is placed in your waiting hand, it seems like an eternity until its molten filling is cool enough to not risk a scalded tongue. The fried dough on its own would be intoxicating enough but the tangy tomato and creamy, oozing cheese filling puts this snack at a completely different level. The filling proportions for this recipe were given to me by my chef friend, Emanuele, and produce a perfect creamy to tangy contrast. It is also perfectly acceptable to add ricotta or smoked provola cheeses, egg, parsley, salami or prosciutto to the filling.