A panzerotto, is a savory turnover that originated in Central and Southern Italian cuisine which resembles a small calzone, both in shape and dough used for its preparation. The term usually applies to a fried turnover rather than an oven-baked pastry, though calzoni and panzerotti are often mistaken for each other.
Etymology
The noun panzerotto comes from a diminutive of panza, a regional variation of Italianpancia, referring to the distinctive swelling of the pastry which resembles a belly bloating. Albeit etymologically related, the word pansoti refers to a totally different dish from panzerotti, denoting a kind of ravioli which is typical of Genoa. Panzerotti are also popular in the United States and Canada as well, where it is often called panzerotti or panzarotti as a singular noun.
Italy
Panzerotti originated in Central and Southern Italy, especially in the Apulian cuisine. They are basically small versions of calzoni but are usually fried rather than oven-baked, that 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 and Mola di Bari, panzerotti also go by the name of frittelle or frittelli, while in Brindisi they are known as fritte. 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.
Panzerotti are also consumed in North America, where they were imported by Southern Italian immigrants at the time of the Italian diaspora. As for their shape and texture, they can come in various sizes, and are usually semicircular. They consist of a pocket of dough filled with varying amounts of melted mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and any reasonable number of fillings, which is then folded over, salted and deep-fried. Panzerotto rises during this process, creating a pocket containing a considerable amount of steam which should be partially released prior to eating.
Canada
Since the mid-1960s, panzerotti have been a popular fast food item in Canada. Commercialized frozen versions are called Pizza Pockets or Pizza Pops.
