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Grown pasta zeppole: a Neapolitan street food recipe


Grown pasta

Fried air, zeppole, grown pasta: many names to indicate one of the best street foods of Neapolitan cuisine.

In Naples there is the custom of walking while enjoying the cuoppo , a yellow paper cone filled with a disproportionate quantity of fried delicacies including, indeed, grown pasta. Also known as zeppole , they are not to be confused with the desserts of the same name, typical of Apulian cuisine. In fact, here we are talking about a savory dish based on grown dough, i.e. leavened, fried in plenty of seed oil.

The dough, rigorously highly hydrated and therefore rather liquid, is prepared only with water, flour and yeast and then fried, dropping it by the spoonful, into boiling oil. The traditional version does not require the addition of any other ingredients: let's try them!

Grown pasta wedges
Grown pasta wedges

Ingredients

For grown pasta

  • Flour 00 – 250 g
  • Water – 200 g
  • Fresh brewer's yeast – 10 g
  • Salt – to taste
  • Seed oil for frying – to taste

Preparation

How to prepare grown pasta zeppole

1

Start by dissolving the brewer's yeast in slightly warmed water . Then add it to the flour , mixing well by hand until there are no more lumps. Cover the dough with cling film and let it rise for a couple of hours.

2

In a pan, heat plenty of seed oil to a temperature of 180°C . Dip a spoon into the oil then scoop out spoonfuls of dough. This way they will come off more easily.

3

Dip them in the oil: you will notice that they will swell immediately. It is important not to overfill the pan not only because the zeppole increase in volume but also to prevent the temperature of the oil from dropping excessively.

4

Using a slotted spoon, turn them from time to time until they are golden on all sides . Drain them and pat dry with kitchen paper before serving, hot, seasoned with just a pinch of salt .

The recipe for Neapolitan zeppole is really simple but, please note, they must be very light: remember that they are also called fried air! In this video you can see all the steps, including the consistency of the dough before cooking.

Over time, richer versions have also become widespread, such as zeppole di mare , prepared with the addition of seaweed, zeppole alla pizzaiola with anchovies and fresh tomatoes or those enriched with courgette flowers .

Conservation

This recipe must be prepared freshly. At most you can slow down the leavening by putting the dough in the fridge but once fried they should be enjoyed immediately.

Read also
Let's get to know the Neapolitan fried cuoppo

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