NEAPOLITAN PASTA FRITTATINE, a tasty recipe, typical finger food from Neapolitan rosticceria, simple, economical and delicious street food.
The Neapolitan pasta frittatine are the typical finger food you find wandering the alleys and streets of Naples’ historic center: soft and tasty, filled with peas, cooked ham and cheese or with ragù.
Naples is a wonderful and incredible city, not only for its monuments, its history and its people, but especially for the food — it’s no wonder Neapolitan recipes are widely copied on the web.
Along with the pasta frittatine you can find zeppoline, fried pizza, the parigina, and “acqua di polpo”! Imagine all these aromas while walking the streets — it’s impossible not to stop and be tempted.
I haven’t visited the city center for a long time, and every time it’s like the first time; some things have changed over the years — for example, Via Roma used to be open to traffic, now it’s closed for pedestrians only.
Anyway, street food and rosticceria snacks are always a pleasure and can be found in big cities everywhere, not only in Italy, because they’re the kind of food you enjoy while strolling.
Follow me in the kitchen — today we have Neapolitan pasta frittatine!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 5
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 252.78 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.65 (g) of which sugars 2.72 (g)
- Proteins 10.58 (g)
- Fat 7.50 (g) of which saturated 4.02 (g)of which unsaturated 2.46 (g)
- Fibers 2.15 (g)
- Sodium 386.98 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 30 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz spaghetti (bucatini are preferable)
- 1.1 oz cooked ham (prosciutto cotto)
- 1.1 oz fiordilatte mozzarella
- 2 tbsp frozen peas
- 2/3 cup béchamel sauce
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (Type 00 flour if available)
- as needed breadcrumbs
Preparation
Boil the pasta until al dente, drain it and set aside.
Cook the peas in a pan with a drizzle of oil and, if you prefer, a little onion; cook for a few minutes.
Prepare the béchamel HERE and set it aside. Also prepare the batter: pour the flour into a bowl, add the egg, mix and then add the milk.
Mix until you obtain a creamy consistency and season with salt to taste.
Cut the spaghetti or bucatini into pieces with scissors for convenience, add the béchamel, diced cooked ham, the cheese and the peas.
Mix well, then spread the mixture on a sheet of parchment paper forming a rectangle about 2–2.4 inches high (or about 1.2 inches as I did), but the frittatine should be thick.
Place in the freezer for half an hour, then remove and cut out with a 2-inch round cutter.
Dip the frittatine in the batter, then in the breadcrumbs and finally fry in a pan with plenty of oil.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.
Bon appétit
If you like the recipe, click the stars at the bottom of the article. THANK YOU!
Arte in Cucina recommends
Tips for perfect Neapolitan pasta frittatine
To get golden, compact Neapolitan pasta frittatine, it’s important to follow a few small rosticceria tricks:
Use pasta that is already cold or from the day before, so it binds better
Don’t overdo the filling: the pasta must remain well “bound”
Press the mixture well into the mold or pan to get a stable shape
Fry them in oil that is hot but not excessively so, so they stay crispy outside and soft inside
Let them rest a few minutes before serving: they’ll be even better
News: subscribe to my WhatsApp channel
FOLLOW ME ON TELEGRAM — TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS
FOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK
FOLLOW ARTE IN CUCINA ON INSTAGRAM
NEAPOLITAN PASTA FRITTATINE
Can Neapolitan pasta frittatine be baked instead of fried?
Yes, but the traditional version is fried. Baked frittatine are lighter but less crispy.
What pasta is used for Neapolitan frittatine?
Generally spaghetti or bucatini are used, but leftover short pasta also works well.
Can they be prepared in advance?
Yes, they can be prepared ahead and reheated. They are also great cold or at room temperature.
What is the traditional filling?
The most classic fillings are peas, cooked ham and cheese, or Neapolitan ragù.
