Go Back
–+ servings
Print
Golden Meat-Filled Apulian Panzerotti served on a white platter with cherry tomatoes.

Meat-Filled Apulian Panzerotti Recipe

Soft fried dough and a rich filling make Meat-Filled Apulian Panzerotti traditional Italian turnovers filled with savoury beef, pork, Pecorino Romano, and mozzarella.

Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10
Author: Recipe adapted from Le Ricette di Cockerina

Ingredients

Meat Filling

  • 225 g – 8 oz ground beef
  • 225 g – 8 oz ground pork
  • ½ onion – chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 50 ml – 1.7 oz white wine
  • 1 egg – lightly beaten
  • 125 g – 4.5 oz mozzarella – chopped (bocconcini works well)
  • 8 tbsp Pecorino Romano – finely grated
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • salt and pepper – to taste
  • vegetable oil – for frying

Dough

  • 500 g – 1.1 lbs flour
  • 250 ml – 8.5 oz lukewarm milk – plus 2–3 tbsp if needed
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 7 g – ¼ oz dry yeast

Instructions

Filling

  1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5–7 minutes until soft and golden.
  2. Add the ground beef and pork to the pan. Break up any lumps with a wooden spoon, then cook over medium-high heat until browned. Pour in the white wine and continue cooking until the alcohol evaporates completely.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until all the liquid evaporates and the filling looks dry. Remove from the heat and leave aside until completely cooled.
  4. Add the beaten egg, grated Pecorino Romano, and nutmeg to the cooled meat mixture. Stir until evenly combined, then set aside.

Dough

  1. Pour the lukewarm milk into a small bowl. Add the dry yeast and sugar, stir well, and leave aside for 5–10 minutes until frothy.
  2. Add the flour, salt, and extra virgin olive oil to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a hook attachment.
  3. Pour the frothy yeast mixture into the bowl and knead for several minutes until the dough becomes soft, elastic, and slightly tacky. If the dough feels dry or stiff, add 2–3 tablespoons of milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a pizza or bread dough consistency.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and lightly dust it with flour. Place it in a warm spot and leave it to rise until doubled in size.

Assemble Panzerotti

  1. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 10 equal balls.
  2. Use a rolling pin to flatten each ball into a circle about 0.5 cm – 0.2 inch thick.

  3. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each dough circle, then top with chopped mozzarella.

  4. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly together, then crimp with your fingers to seal well.
  5. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan until hot. Fry the panzerotti in batches until golden brown on both sides.
  6. Transfer the fried panzerotti to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
  7. Serve warm.