This reinterpretation of Totino's Pizza Rolls results in light, crispy pizza pockets which make a great appetizer or party food. Skip the frozen, leaky stuff and make these yourself!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Makes 20-30 pizza rolls.
For this recipe, you will need:
1 2/3 cups (200g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 tsp (1g) active dry yeast
3 tbsp (40g) lard
1/3 cup (80ml) water
1 tsp. (6g) salt, plus extra for seasoning the stuffing
1/4 cup (60ml) white wine
7 oz. (200g) chopped mozzarella cheese
~1/4 cup thick tomato passata (we find that the sauce from whole peeled canned tomatoes works best, see below)
Olive oil
Fresh basil or dried oregano to taste
Oil for frying (olive oil is best but vegetable will work as well)
While it's not strictly necessary, a ravioli cutter may come in useful
To keep your pizza rolls from leaking, it's very important that the stuffing isn't too watery. So, we recommend making the stuffing first and giving it time for the liquid to separate.
Combine the chopped mozzarella cheese with a few spoonfuls of thick tomato passata. Your average tomato puree is likely too watery, so we recommend using the sauce from canned whole peeled tomatoes. Use just enough to coat the cheese with sauce, not too much. Stir them together in a bowl, along with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and basil or oregano to taste. Set aside for later.
Combine the flour, yeast and lard in a large mixing bowl. Roughly mix them by hand. Gradually add the water while continuing to mix. When the water is fully incorporated, knead in the salt.
Add the white wine and continue to knead in the bowl until a soft, even dough forms. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead it for about 5 minutes. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
Time to roll the dough! We recommend doing so in batches. Cut the dough in half, keeping the unworked portion covered while you work on the other.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out until it is very thin, about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. Cut a large strip of dough from the center, about 5 inches (12.5cm) wide.
Drain any excess liquid from the stuffing. Place small spoonfuls (don't overdo it or the rolls will open when cooked!) along one side of the dough strip, keeping about 1 inch (2.5cm) of room in between and from the edge.
Fold the dough in half over the stuffing and gently press it down to push the air out from around the stuffing. Use a ravioli cutter or knife to cut squares out around each stuffing mound, leaving about 1/4 inch (6.5mm) of border.
Press the edges of each "raviolo" shut so that they are completely sealed closed. Roll out the excess dough as needed and repeat until all of the dough has been used.
Fill a small pot with 4 inches (10cm) or frying oil and bring up to medium/high temperature on a stovetop. When the oil is hot, test it out by dropping in a small morsel of leftover dough; if it starts to bubble and fry immediately, the oil is hot enough.
Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot, carefully drop in the pizza rolls. Turn them frequently with a fork or slotted spoon until they are golden on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to dry.
Serve warm. Buon appetito!