Panzarotti

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Franco's Place, famous for popularizing the panzarotti

Two employees with a freshly prepared panzarotti

A panzarotti is a type of Italian dish popularized in the United States, especially in South Jersey. It consists of a pocket of dough filled with a generous portion of melted mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and any number of fillings, which is then wrapped, shut, and deep-fried. The panzarotti rises during this process, creating a pocket containing a considerable amount of steam which needs to be partially dissipated before one can eat the panzarotti. Baked panzarottis also exist, although they are considerably less popular and are more like stromboli than anything else.

The recipe comes from the Tarantini family, which has continually passed down the recipe from generation to generation. Pauline Tarantini, an immigrant mother of 10 who spoke very little English, learned to make panzarottis from her mother in her native Brindisi, Italy. Around 1960 she began producting them by hand from her Camden, New Jersey home. Her husband Leopoldo then sold them at local businesses. The family has been fiercely protective of its claim to the panzarotti and is known for taking legal action against restaurants that copy or imitate the design of the panzarotti.^{[citation needed]} On account of this, panzarottis are generally found exclusively at places owned by the Tarantini family, including the Franco's restaurant in Haddonfield. In fact, Franco's was the original proprietor of the panzarotti.

Mini panzarottis, or panzarottinis, also exist. These are usually sold in groups of five. In November 2006, Franco's introduced an intermediate-sized dish called the junior panzarotti.

In southern Italy the panzarotti is widely spread dish. You can eat Panzarottis in restaurants or easily make them at home (several recipes available online).

Note: In Italy, the spelling is actually panzErotto not panzarotto, and plural panzerotti.