Frittatine di Pasta
Crispy golden fried pasta discs filled with tender bucatini, thick béchamel, sweet peas, and savoury ham. A cornerstone of Neapolitan street food.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Large saucepan
- •Deep frying pot or Dutch oven
- •Baking tray or dish
- •Round pastry cutter (8 cm)
- •Slotted spoon or spider
- •Digital thermometer
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 21 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Boil snapped bucatini in salted water until al dente, drain thoroughly, and set aside.
- 2
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour, and cook for two minutes.
- 3
Gradually whisk in warm milk and simmer until a very thick, glossy béchamel forms.
- 4
Stir salt, black pepper, nutmeg, Parmigiano Reggiano, diced ham, and peas into the warm béchamel.
- 5
Fold drained pasta into the sauce until completely coated and evenly distributed.
- 6
Spread pasta mixture firmly into a lined square dish and chill in the fridge for two hours.
- 7
Cut chilled pasta into firm rounds using an eight-centimetre pastry ring.
- 8
Whisk flour and water in a wide bowl to create a smooth, runny pastella batter.
- 9
Heat peanut oil in a deep pot to 180 degrees C.
- 10
Dip each pasta round into the batter, let excess drip off, and lower carefully into hot oil.
- 11
Deep-fry in small batches for four minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp.
- 12
Drain on paper towels and rest for three minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
Make the béchamel noticeably thicker than usual so the pasta holds its shape during cutting and frying. Thorough chilling in the refrigerator is mandatory; if the pasta block is too warm, the frittatine will collapse in the hot oil. Keep the oil temperature strictly at 180 degrees C to ensure the exterior seals instantly without absorbing excess fat.
Ingredient substitutions
- prosciutto cotto → salame napoli or pancetta cut into fine dice
- bucatini → spaghetti or perciatelli broken into short pieces
- peanut oil → sunflower oil or high-smoke-point vegetable oil
Storage
Store leftover fried frittatine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat on a wire rack in an oven preheated to 190 degrees C for eight to ten minutes until crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the refrigeration time, which causes the pasta cylinders to disintegrate upon contact with hot oil.
- •Making the béchamel too loose or watery, leading to a runny filling that bursts out of the batter.
- •Overcrowding the frying pot, which lowers the oil temperature and results in a greasy, soggy crust.
Serving suggestions
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