This is a food I found by following a large line of people and a yeasty, savory, sweet smell. What I found, a panzeretto, would rock my eating universe forever.
Panzerotti are comprised of a fried, yeasted donut type of dough that enrobes a variety of fillings. Originally hailing from Naples, Italy, I sampled several at a tiny shop in Milan that sold panzerotti exclusively. My favorite flavor, pomodoro, was made up of fresh buffalo mozzarella and sweet tomato sauce. I tried a few others: spinach and ricotta and strawberry and ricotta (they had a few more sweet versions), but none compared to the original taste of the tomato and cheese. These pocket-sized snacks are a perfect synthesis of flavor and texture: slight sweetness (the dough) and savory (sauces and cheese), the feel: soft on the inside, shattering flakiness on the outside. Oh, and they're served piping hot!
These unbelievable treats also seemed to be a great economic equalizer — the stomach knows no class divisions, and this little snack had everyone lined up to get one. . . Fashion queens, teenagers, tourists, suits, fancy people, families. There was nowhere to sit, except a nearby curb, so most devotees ate while standing, or on the go.
I don't think i've ever eaten anything as calorie dense or blissful. If you find yourself in Milan or Naples, you really must get a panzerotto, I implore you to do so! Or better yet, if you know a recipe for making panzerotti at home, please share it with us.
Related: Escape to Italy with a Recipe: Straccetti con Arugula e Funghi
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)
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Comments (18)
The love child of a donut and a pizza...awesome! That is the most hilarious descriptor -- and of course immediately made me want one!
In the Philly/SW Jersey area you can find something pretty similar, called an ISOP. (Inside out pizza). The fillings are usually traditional pizza toppings, but the dough is lighter and sweeter than regular pizza dough. They're pretty classic bar food around here.
I want this for dinner tonight and every night.
it's panzerotti :) just google it, you'll find plenty of recipes.
Couldn't you easily make this by making a batch of yeast doughnuts and just making your own pizza pockets with it? I imagine it tasting delicious. :)
I want the shoes that the guy's wearing...What brand are they? JCrew?
In the Chicago suburbs you can get these at RoccoVino's. The sweeter breading and savory stuffings are a great combo.
Another Chicago reference to panzerotti http://skyfullofbacon.com/blog/?s=sfingi About 12 minutes into this gem of a documentary by skyfull of bacon.
thanks - i am now craving a Ponza from Jimmy's Grotto in Waukesha, WI.
Not Good for the Gluten Free me... :(
I use to get these in a little town close to my childhood home. It's basically a fluffier fried calzone...they served it with marinara sauce with melted mozzarella at the bottom....holy crap it was good...they moved =(
I used to get these all the time from Panzerotto Pizza in Toronto... so delicious! I think it's time to defrost some pizza dough...
love panzerotti. but maybe you could change the title of the post to reflect what's on the bag in the picture? pet peeve when people totally botch other language's spellings.
like emmeleau and others have said, you've spelled the name of the food wrong, it's a panzerotto (panzerotti is the plural form).
ingredients:
a pound of flour
two medium sized mashed potatoes
15 grams of yeast
salt
oil for frying
Isa from Italy
OMG! I used to eat these from Luini (the same place you found) when I lived in Milan! Seeing the pictures *literally* made me cry...panzerotti are just one of the many delicious and lovely things to miss from Milano. Sigh.
Is it possible that THIS is the amazing mystery fried dough stuffed with cheese, anchovy, and a hint of lemon that I had in Venice 5 years ago and still dream about?
Check this link, it looks like you can get variations of this in NYC
http://newyork.grubia.com/grubs/panzerotti
You asked for a recipe and here it is
http://www.manusmenu.com/panzerotti
I ate these in Europe, and the filling I had seemed to be ground ham, tomato sauce and some type of cheese all mixed together. If you google panzerotti you'll see people have all kinds of ideas about what type (esp Mario Batelli's version on food.com) . I am going to try mozzerella and provolone when I start experimenting. Check out the dough recipe on the above website as it differs a bit fromn a pizza dough recipe.
Bon Appetit.