Fried Stuffed Ziti
Photography Photography by Aaron McLean.
This dish is adapted from a recipe by Giuliano Bugialli, and was taught when he visited Epicurean as our guest a few years ago. It is important to use top quality dried pasta for this dish so it can withstand the stress of being stuffed and fried.
Serves: 8-10
INGREDIENTS
250g dried ziti pasta (large rigatoni)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Stuffing
120g fresh mozzarella, finely chopped
120g ricotta, drained very well
4 heaped tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
120g prosciutto, finely diced
2 egg yolks
small handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
500ml vegetable oil
3 eggs
1-2 cups flour
1-2 cups fine, lightly toasted breadcrumbs
METHOD
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until almost cooked. Drain and refresh under cold water to halt the cooking and toss with the olive oil. Cover and set aside.
Stuffing: Combine the cheeses with the prosciutto, egg yolks and parsley. Season, mix well and transfer the mixture to a piping bag. This is the easiest way to fill the pasta tubes. A strong plastic bag with the corner cut off will work very well too. When all the pasta is filled, cover and set aside until ready to serve.
To serve: Beat the eggs lightly in one dish and place the flour and breadcrumbs in two more dishes. Heat the oil in a fry pan over a medium heat. The oil should be about 200°C. Lightly flour the pasta, dip in egg and then the breadcrumbs. Fry a few at a time until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve hot, sprinkled with salt and extra grated Parmesan. Serves 8-10 as a snack with drinks
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.