Panzerotti, also known as panzarotti, are Italian savory bread products, originating in the Apulia region, which resemble small calzones, both in shape and in the dough used for their preparation.Minchilli, Elizabeth (December 11, 2014). "Making Panzerotti in Barivecchia", Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome. Retrieved February 13, 2016.Sarkar, Suhashini (June 29, 2015). "Panzerotti: The Empanada's Italian Cousin", Saveur. Retrieved February 13, 2016."Deep Fried Panzerotti", food.com. Retrieved February 13, 2016. The term panzerotti applies exclusively to a fried product, though oven-baked calzones are similar and the two are often mistaken for each other.
Etymology The noun panzerotto comes from a diminutive of , a regional variation of Italian (), referring to the distinctive swelling of the pastry which resembles a belly bloating.
Origin and variations Panzerotti originated in Apulian cuisine. They are basically small versions of calzones, but are usually fried rather than oven-baked, which is why they are also known as calzoni fritti () or pizze fritte () in Italy, most typically in Campania. In parts of Apulia, such as Molfetta,"Panzerotti", Culinaria Italia. Retrieved February 13, 2016. panzerotti also go by the name of frittelle or frittelli (), while in Brindisi they are known as fritte (a local variation of frittelle).
The most common fillings for this turnover are tomato and mozzarella. Peeled whole tomatoes are drained and dried to be used as a filling, as using non-dried tomatoes will cause the dough to rip due to the moisture. Other fillings are onions sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with salted anchovies and capers, or mortadella and provolone cheese.
A different recipe for panzerotti is panzerotti di patate (), a specialty from Salento which consists of mashed potato croquettes rather than panzerotti as the term is most typically intended.
See also
Calzone Deep fried pizza U' pastizz 'rtunnar
Notes
References