Pasta Cresciuta
Traditional Neapolitan salty fritters
Pasta Cresciuta can be described as fried dough. It is a specialty from my homeland, Naples. It first made its appearance during the 1900s and was sold both on the ‘friggitorie’ (fried food stands) and on the sidewalk outside the shops. The sweet version is also known as ‘zeppole’, but nowadays this denomination is commonly used for the salty version as well.
Serves 4
500g 00 flour
500ml warm water
25g fresh yeast (Leviton di Birra)
500ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Dissolve the yeast into a small bowl with a little warm water from the 500ml of water. Place the flour in a larger bowl and gradually incorporate the dissolved yeast and the water. Mix with your hands for at least 10 minutes or until you have a very soft dough.
Add the salt and mix for a further 1 to 2 minutes.
Cover the bowl and leave it to rest for about 1 to 1½ hours in a warm place. It should double in size.
Heat the oil in a frypan that is deep enough to deep fry the pasta cresciuta. Scoop a tablespoon of dough and, using another tablespoon as a scraper, drop a ball of dough into the pot and deep fry until golden. Remove them from the hot oil and place them on an absorbent paper towel.
Sprinkle them with sea salt and serve.
This is the basic recipe for pasta cresciuta or zeppole, which you can find in any Neapolitan Friggitoria. Traditionally they can also be mixed with seaweeds, anchovies or with sciurilli (the flower of the zucchini). If you feel adventurous, you can have them sweet and sprinkled with sugar or mixed with apple pieces just before frying.
Please note that you should place the extra ingredient you would like to add on the surface of the pasta dough and be sure to pick it up together before frying it.
Chef’s note:
Make sure the oil is not too hot otherwise the fritters will burn on the outside and stay raw on the inside. If the oil is too cool, the fritters will not cook properly on the outside and the inside will be soggy and full of oil. It is best to experiment with one first.