You could say calzones are a big deal to Roberto Vergalito. In October 2014, Vergalito, who owns and operates Roberto’s Pizza Passion in St. Catharines, Ont., made a bid in August for the world record for longest calzone.
His pie was 51 feet, two inches long by 2 feet, 5 inches wide weighing 138 kilograms! He then cut up the mammoth calzone and sold the pieces, with proceeds going to the United Way.
Vergalito, who competed with and coached the Canadian Pizza Team for several years, has written columns for Canadian Pizza on many topics as “The Pizza Dude.”
We asked him to explain the differences between the calzone and its cousin, the panzerotti, and to share tips for making these mouth-watering pizzeria mainstays.
He was kind enough – and patient enough – to undertake a video shoot to kick off our new website feature, Tips & Techniques.
Tune in to Roberto’s “Panzerotti vs. Calzone” for a little history of the favoured pies, along with some great tips on making and serving them.
Take-away tips Panzerotti originated as a pizza tart that was deep-fried or pan-fried, Vergalito says, while a calzone is a baked pizza turnover. Both are thought to have originated in southern Italy.
Panzerotti are usually smaller and can be fried or baked. Calzones are usually larger than a panzerotti, and they can also be fried or baked. Fillings can be varied. Calzones usually are ricotta-based; panzerotti fillings are usually tomato, mozzarella or Pugliese cheese, and basil.
Now, calzones are often the less-popular alternative to pizza at Italian-American restaurants. Calzones experienced a brief resurgence about a decade ago due to the much-loved yet awkward character Ben Wyatt in “Parks and Recreation,” played by Adam Scott. However, calzones have a rich history dating back to 1170 as one of Italys oldest street foods, writes Thrillist. The word calze means trousers in Italian, explains MasterClass. And the word calzone was inspired by the fact that youd enjoy the pizza-like turnover while on the street, hopefully wearing pants.
Depending on where youre from, the term “portable pizza” may conjure up anything from large slices of New York-style pizza folded in half served on paper plates to the microwavable American elementary-school treat, Hot Pockets. While wildly different, both make eating pizza an on-the-go affair. However, these trends are rooted in a centuries-long Italian tradition of pizza-style street food.
Traditionally, 18th-century panzerottis filling included three kinds of cheese (buffalo, parmesan, and Caciocavallo) and a spiced savory combination of ham, hard-boiled egg yolks, parsley, and nutmeg (via Saveur). Now, typical fillings include tomatoes or tomato sauce and mozzarella. Other pizza toppings, such as cold-cut meats or veggies, are also often added.
Calzones are the larger, heartier sibling to panzerotti. Crust Conductor explains that if panzerotti are tarts, then calzones are turnovers. Though calzones originated as portable street food, todays Italian-American calzones are about the size of a medium pizza folded in half. Because of that, calzones are now a sharable sit-down food. Typically, calzones are cut into more manageable pieces and dipped in marinara sauce served on the side.
Panzerotti are smaller than calzones, explains Crust Conductor. Panzerotti are typically about the size of a sandwich, roughly nine inches long. Saveur likens the panzerotto to the empanada because of their similar structures: dough folded over filling, giving them a semi-circle shape.
He was kind enough – and patient enough – to undertake a video shoot to kick off our new website feature, Tips & Techniques.
His pie was 51 feet, two inches long by 2 feet, 5 inches wide weighing 138 kilograms! He then cut up the mammoth calzone and sold the pieces, with proceeds going to the United Way.
Vergalito, who competed with and coached the Canadian Pizza Team for several years, has written columns for Canadian Pizza on many topics as “The Pizza Dude.”
We asked him to explain the differences between the calzone and its cousin, the panzerotti, and to share tips for making these mouth-watering pizzeria mainstays.
Take-away tips Panzerotti originated as a pizza tart that was deep-fried or pan-fried, Vergalito says, while a calzone is a baked pizza turnover. Both are thought to have originated in southern Italy.
what the DIFFERENCE between “strombolis” Vs “calzone”…
FAQ
Are calzone and panzerotti the same?
Is a panzerotti deep-fried or baked?
What does panzerotti mean in Italian?
Do panzerottis have sauce inside?
Is a calzone bigger than a panzerotti?
Well, that’s because it is. The Calzone is larger than the original Panzerotti. It’s usually about the size of a medium-sized pizza. Calzones originated in Naples, Italy and were originally made as a street-vendor food. Like the Panzerotti, Calzones were originally intended to work as an all-in-one meal. They could be easily taken on-the-go.
Can calzone & panzerotti be served together?
Calzone is usually served at a restaurant or a diner setting, whole and with marinara or regular tomato sauce on the side in a separate sauce dish, or sometimes poured over the calzone. Panzerotti can also be served with a side of marinara or regular tomato sauce, but that isn’t the custom since it already contains sauce.
Is calzone fried or fried?
While calzone is traditionally baked, panzerotti is fried. However, the frying of the panzerotti isn’t deep frying but just a short sizzling in oil. Because the panzerotti dough is lighter, it doesn’t need much to thoroughly cook since it is classic pizza dough.
What is a panzerotti?
A panzerotti is a small, semi-circular shaped Italian dish typically filled with ingredients such as mozzarella, tomato sauce, and others. It is similar to a calzone but differs in size, shape, and also cooking method.