Little Bellies

Name: Little Bellies
Ingredients: Directions; 1 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained; 1 recipe pizza crust yeast dough; 1 ball mozzarella cheese cut into bits; 1 cup diced salami or San Danielle prosciutto or prosciutto di Parma; 1/2 cup torn basil leaves; Salt and pepper to taste; Sunflower oil for frying

Panzerotti, filled yeast dough, has many spellings and variations and are found throughout Italy. They are a great snack or antipasto offering. The name is taken from panza which means stomach because these puff up when fried.

Makes 12

Ingredients

Directions
1 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1 recipe pizza crust yeast dough
1 ball mozzarella cheese cut into bits
1 cup diced salami or San Danielle prosciutto or prosciutto di Parma
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Sunflower oil for frying

Directions

Place the tomatoes in a food processor and puree them. Transfer the paste to a small bowl.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each out into a 4-inch round.
Divide and top each round with a little of the sun dried tomato paste to within 1/4-inch of the border.
Top each one with some of the cheese, salami or prosciutto and basil leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Brush the edges with a little water, then fold over and pinch edges shut or use a fork. Set aside on clean towels as you make them.
Heat the oil in a heavy duty deep pan or deep fryer to 375°F.
Fry a few at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper and serve hot.

This recipe was featured on Season 22 - Episode 2216.