Recipe: Frittatine di pasta Napoletane (Pasta Fritter)

 Pasta Fritter Recipe inspired by Naples

Our trip to Naples involved more than just regular Neapolitan Pizza, including not also deep-fried pizza (yes, they do eat this in Naples although it's more like a deep-fried calzone than the Scottish style) but also other deep-fried street food items such as Frittatine di pasta Napoletane - or a pasta fritter to you and me. Basically, it's a good way to utilise leftover pasta to make a tasty and filling snack.

The one we had in Naples consisted of a meaty middle, this was too much work for me at home so a mac and cheese type of dish was concocted.

@foodieexplorers Snacks in Naples #foodtiktok#italy#italia#italianfood♬ original sound - FoodieExplorers

Frittatine di pasta Napoletana

Ingredients

350 g bucatini
250 g ham cut into small cubes
300 g peas
1 tablespoon of onion, minced
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
300 g smoked mozzarella cut into small cubes
50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
pepper to taste

for the bechamel:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sifted flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

for the batter:

500ml of cold water
300 g of flour
salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Method

Break the bucatini into 4 pieces and boil them in salted water.
Drain and place aside.
For the bechamel, heat the butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring for around 3 minutes.
Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer.
Continue whisking.
Once the mixture begins to thicken, turn the heat very low and let it simmer.
Stir often.
Once the sauce has lost its floury taste, remove from heat and add salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a pan and saute the minced onion.
Add peas and cook for around 10 minutes.
Add the drained pasta to the bechamel, ham, smoked mozzarella, peas and Parmigiano.
Mix it together well and pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish.
Cover and place in a fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
When ready to cook.
Remove the pasta from the fridge and using a small cup, cut the pasta into small rounds.
Mix the batter together.
Submerge the pasta rounds in the batter and then fry in the hot oil until golden.