Panzarotti or panzerotti are filled pastries, different forms of which are popular in Italy and in the United States, especially in Southern New Jersey.
Italy
panzerotto.]]
Panzerotti originated in central and southern Italy, especially in
Apulia. They are small versions of the
calzone, but produced with a softer dough. The most common fillings are tomato and
mozzarella, but spinach, mushrooms, baby corn, and ham are often used. Another filling is onions stir fried in olive oil and seasoned with salted anchovies and
capers, a seasoning that, mixed with bread, is also used in Apulia for stuffed
bell peppers.
Agostino Luini brought panzerotti to the northern Italian city of Milan in the late 1940s, setting up shop near that city's Gothic cathedral. Panificio Figli Luini's proximity to the Duomo, the Galleria, and the via Dante pedestrian zone has made the panzerotti widely known among both Milanese and tourists. Luini has gone on to open a London café, since renamed "Sfizio".
The analogous word, pansoti, is used in the Genoa area for stuffed pasta similar to tortellini.
United States
In America the word has come to be spelled "panzarotti", and is regarded as singular (with the plural being "panzarotties" or "panzarotti"). They can come in various sizes from 4" to 12", and are most commonly semi-circular shaped.
It consists of a pocket of dough filled with varying amounts of melted mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and any reasonable number of fillings, which is then wrapped, salted, and deep-fried. The panzarotti rises during this process, creating a pocket containing a considerable amount of steam which should be partially released prior to eating.
Panzarottis are available throughout the United States in various Italian cuisine restaurants.
Canada
Since the mid 1960s, panzarottis have been an extremely popular
fast food item in the Toronto area.
See also
Calzone
Stromboli
Cornish pasty
Sambusac
Empanada
Category:Italian cuisine
Category:New Jersey culture
Category:Italian-American cuisine
