Supplì al Telefono and a Quintessential Roman Pasta #SundayFunday

 

Today the Sunday Funday group is writing about and sharing Roman recipes. Thanks to Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for coordinating this low-stress group. 

This week, Sue is hosting. She wrote: "Choose a recipe that is Roman or Italian to celebrate the month of August and pay tribute to the 1st Roman Emperor, the namesake of August." Here's the line-up...

• Authentic Italian Meatballs by Making Miracles
• Herbed Whole Wheat Piadinas & A Sandwich by Sneha’s Recipe
• Honey Glazed Pork Loin by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Lasagna Bolognese by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spaghetti Carbonara by Palatable Pastime
• Supplì al Telefono and a Quintessential Roman Pasta by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you'll know that I lived and worked in Rome for a year after I graduated from college. And that's where I learned to cook. So, I agonized over which Roman dish to share today.

My favorites include Pizza Con Patate and Stracciatella alla Romana. I considered sharing recipes for less-than-common vegetables such as cardi (cardoons) or cicoria (it's sort of like a dandelion-endive cross).

But, then, I landed on two of my favorites. We'll start with the quintessential Roman pasta. Jake and I made a video for our #CulinaryCam YouTube channel. Watch me make Pasta Carbonara...

Then I had to share Supplì al Telefono. I used to purchase supplì from my neighborhood rosticceria in Rome probably more often than I should admit. They're delicious and easy to eat while on the go. And I was always on the go in those days. Around other parts of Italy, they are called Arancini or 'little oranges.'

Supplì al Telefono, literally means supplì 'to the phone.' Odd name, perhaps, until you think back to the days when phones had cords. Yes, younguns, phones used to have cords! Inside the supplì are molten bits of mozzarella cheese; when you bite into them and pull away, the melted cheese is long and stringy, resembling a telephone cord. Like this... 

Supplì is a great dish to use up leftover risotto. Use whatever risotto you have on-hand. 

In the Bowl

Now that you know what supplì is, I'll show you how we make it. I was grateful for my Kitchen Elves who pitched into make them for me. It's simple and a great way to use up leftovers. I had some mushroom risotto in the fridge that was perfect for this recipe.

Ingredients makes 12

Supplì 

• 4 to 5 cups leftover risotto, chilled
• 12 ciliegie (fresh mozzarella is traditional and gives you that nice 'string') 
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, or traditional breadcrumbs
• Also needed: baking sheet, parchment paper or silicone mat

Sauce

• 2 cups passata di pomodoro or tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3 to 4 cloves, peeled and minced 
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Take a handful of cold risotto and flatten slightly. Press one cheese cube into the center. Cover the cheese with more rice and roll into a ball form. Dip the ball into flour, shaking lightly to remove any clumps.

Coat the ball with beaten eggs and, finally, roll the ball in the bread crumbs. Place the coated ball onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining risotto until all of the risotto has been used.

Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until golden brown and crisp to the touch. While they are baking, make the sauce.

Sauce
Place the passata di pomodoro, basil, oregano, and garlic in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce till slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon some sauce into the bottom of an individual bowl. Place the supplì on the sauce and serve immediately.

I can't wait to try the other Roman and Italian dishes my fellow bloggers shared today. But we'll be back next week with side dishes - anything and everything that accompanies a main dish. Stay tuned.