In my almost four years living in Italy, I have traveled the country quite a bit – Florence, Verona, Milan, Torino, Venice, Matera, Lake Como, Sardinia, Calabria, Pisa, Rieti, Tivoli, Urbino, and Orvieto are just a few of the cities I’ve been lucky enough to visit. Besides confirming my belief that Italy really is the most beautiful country in the world, my travels have also taught me a good deal about Italian cuisine. While I already knew that Italian food is across the board superb, I also realized that it is very regional -- the dishes you find in the place you are eating in in vary greatly depending on the climate, ingredients available, and even history of the individual city.

I have enjoyed fantastic risotto alla Milanese in Milan, delectable gnochetti sardi in Sardegna, delicious orecchiette con cime di rapa in Matera, and superb piadina romagnola in Bologna.

However, I know for a fact that I will not find any of these dishes on the menu of any classic Roman restaurant – they are staples of the cuisine of the city and region they belong to, and do not stray far from home.

As a result, I had to wait until I moved to Rome to try a true suppli' -- a classic Roman appetizer that is hands down one of the best things you will ever eat. It is traditionally a deep fried croquette of risotto with tomato sauce and mozzarella on the inside, served piping hot so the cheese is nice and melty and the exterior crisp. There are many different variations on the suppli', among them suppli' al pesto, suppli' made in the Sicilian style with ragu' and peas, or more creative versions that I've seen around Rome (for example: suppli' with pumpkin and parmesan cheese, or suppli' with braised beef – yum!)

This recipe is my own creation, born out of my love for bucatini all'amatriciana (a classic Roman dish consisting of pasta in a tomato sauce with guanciale -- more on that in another post) and suppli'. It is reminiscent of the traditional suppli' recipe, but with a slightly spicy tomato sauce and the addition of guanciale (or pancetta, if that’s easier to find). The recipe may seem a little labor intensive, but the risotto portion can be made the night before, and the assembling and frying of the suppli' only takes a few minutes. If you really wanted to you could even stop after the rice is done, and have a nice amatriciana style risotto. Buon appetito everyone!

For more Roman recipes, click here.

SUPPLI’ ALL’AMATRICIANA

Makes 10-12 suppli’.

Ingredients:
I can (28 oz or 785 grams) crushed tomatoes (passata, if you’re here in Italy).
3 cups (720mL) chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
7 ounces (200 grams) diced pancetta or guanciale
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup (180 grams) Arborio rice
1/2 cup (120mL) dry white wine
1/2 cup (50 grams) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups (162 grams) dry bread crumbs
3 ounces (84 grams) mozzarella, drained and patted dry, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and keep warm over very low heat. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the guanciale to the pan and let it cook for a bit; once it starts to brown, add the chopped onion, and let it cook until it is soft and translucent. Next, add the rice to the pan. Stir it well to coat it with the pancetta/guanciale and onion, about 1-2 minutes. Then add your wine and cook, stirring until the wine is well absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add 1 cup (one ladelful, more or less) of the hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25-35 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

Remove pan from heat. Stir in parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Eat immediately if you want risotto all’amatriciana, otherwise let cool to room temperature and then put in fridge until cold.

Stir the eggs, risotto, parmesan, and 1/2 cup (54 grams) of the breadcrumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Form the risotto mixture into an oval croquette shape (see photo below!) Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each oval. Roll the suppli’ in the bread crumbs to coat. Continue until you have used all of your risotto mixture.

Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Working in batches, add the suppli’ to the hot oil and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the suppli’ to paper towels to drain. Serve hot.