Italian Turducken Panzerotto

I've been making panzos for weeks now and I don't know how I didn't think of this sooner! A friend of mine said that these panzo experiments are like a turducken - if you don't know what that is, a turducken is chicken stuffed in a duck, stuffed in a turkey. Basically, just all the birds stuffed into another bird and then roasted. There is no chicken or duck (or turkey for that matter) in my recipe, because this is the paisano version, I give you: the Italian Turducken Panzerotto. Made by stuffing spicy rigatoni into a panzerotto, then topping it with my favourite pizza toppings - pasta stuffed in a panzo topped with pizza. It doesn't get more Italian than this.

The creamy rosé sauce for the rigatoni had a nice heat from the chili flakes, and then that went into the panzo with some mozzarella cheese, then fried golden, topped with tomato sauce, grated parm, mozzarella, pepperoni and green olives (obvs) and then baked until melted. It was raging hot when it came out of the oven, so beware, but it was so so tasty. Definitely recommend trying this one out. If you want to know how to make my Italian Turducken Panzerotto keep reading, or jump to the full recipe.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. While the water comes to a boil, make the sauce. In a pan on medium heat, add olive oil once hot add chili flakes. Mix and let cook about 30-60 seconds, add the dried parsley and mix and let cook another 30-60 seconds.

Add the passata, reserving a ¼ cup for the panzo filling. Mix and season with salt and pepper.

Add the cream and mix. Let sauce simmer and reduce.

Once water comes to a boil, add salt and pasta. Cook the pasta al dente.

Add 1.5 tbsp of grated parm to the sauce and mix. When your pasta is almost done, remove 1-2 tbsp pasta water and add to your sauce and mix.

Using a slotted spoon or small strainer, remove the al dente pasta straight from the water and transfer to the sauce.

Mix and add 1.5 tbsp of the grated parm to the sauce and mix. Let the pasta cook in the sauce 1.2 minutes then remove from the heat to cool.

Preheat oven to 425F. Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface and then stretch out the dough into a circle, kneading it with your fingertips until it is about a half an inch thick. Add a portion of the spicy rigatoni to one side of the dough, spoon some extra sauce on top. Add half the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Fold the dough over the filling. Press the edges together with your fingers, crimp the edges to seal the panzo.

Add an inch of oil to a pan or heavy bottom pot, once hot, add the panzo. Allow to cook about 1-2 minutes, spooning the hot oil over the top. Flip and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes, while spooning the hot oil on top. Flip once more and let cook another minute, continuing to spoon the oil on top. Once golden and crispy, remove from the oil.

Spread the remaining passata (or less, if desired) onto the top of the panzo. Add 1 tbsp of grated parm on top.

Add the shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and olives to the top of the panzo. Place in the oven on an elevated rack on a tray and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from the oven and season with black pepper then cut in half to serve.

And now for the full recipe...

Italian Turducken Panzerotto

Makes 1 panzo

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup rigatoni, uncooked

2 ½ cups passata

1 tbsp olive oil

 1 tsp chili flakes (more for more spice)

1 tsp dried parsley

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup grated fresh parm

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

8 slices peperroni

4-5 Sicilian green olives (or green olives of choice), cut in half

~230g pizza dough

Oil for frying

How to make an Italian Turducken Panzerotto

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

While the water comes to a boil, make the sauce. In a pan on medium heat, add olive oil once hot add chili flakes. Mix and let cook about 30-60 seconds, add the dried parsley and mix and let cook another 30-60 seconds. Add the passata, reserving a ¼ cup for the panzo filling. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Add the cream and mix. Let sauce simmer and reduce.

Once water comes to a boil, add salt and pasta. Cook the pasta al dente.

Add 1.5 tbsp of grated parm to the sauce and mix. When your pasta is almost done, remove 1-2 tbsp pasta water and add to your sauce and mix. Using a slotted spoon or small strainer, remove the al dente pasta straight from the water and transfer to the sauce. Mix and add 1.5 tbsp of the grated parm to the sauce and mix. Let the pasta cook in the sauce 1.2 minutes then remove from the heat to cool.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface and then stretch out the dough into a circle, kneading it with your fingertips until it is about a half an inch thick. Add a portion of the spicy rigatoni to one side of the dough, spoon some extra sauce on top. Add half the shredded mozzarella cheese and then fold the dough over the filling. Press the edges together with your fingers, crimp the edges to seal the panzo.

Add an inch of oil to a pan or heavy bottom pot, once hot, add the panzo. Allow to cook about 1-2 minutes, spooning the hot oil over the top. Flip and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes, while spooning the hot oil on top. Flip once more and let cook another minute, continuing to spoon the oil on top. Once golden and crispy, remove from the oil.

Spread the remaining passata (or less, if desired) onto the top of the panzo. Add 1 tbsp of grated parm on top, then add the shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and olives. Place in the oven on an elevated rack on a tray and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and season with black pepper then cut in half to serve.

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