Neapolitan pasta fritters

To make the Neapolitan pasta fritters, start with the béchamel sauce. Heat the milk in a saucepan 1, and in the meantime, melt the butter in a pot. As soon as the butter has melted, add the flour all at once 2 and whisk until the mixture thickens up 3. Don’t worry if it condenses quickly.

Next, dilute with the hot milk, pouring it in a little at a time and making sure that no lumps form 4. Once the mixture is well diluted, add salt and nutmeg 5 and continue cooking until you get a nice thick cream. Transfer it to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave to cool at room temperature 6.

Move on to the filling Cut the ham into slices, strips, and finally ¼-inch (0.5-cm) cubes 7. Next, crush a clove of unpeeled garlic 8 and put it in a frying pan together with a drizzle of oil. Allow the flavor to develop for a few minutes over medium heat, then add the ham cubes and peas 9.

Sauté for a minute or two, season with salt, remove the garlic, and set aside 10. At this point, you can cook the pasta in salted boiling water 11; be sure to drain it when there are 2-3 minutes of cooking time left. Pour the pasta out onto a lightly greased work surface 12,

then add a drop of oil 13 and mix it in quickly so you don’t burn yourself 14. Cut the pasta roughly with a knife and leave to cool 15.

When all the ingredients are at room temperature, pour the béchamel sauce over the pasta 16. Mix together well with your hands 17and then take a handful. Make a little indentation in the middle of the pasta mixture 18

and fill with a handful of peas and ham 19. Close the pasta around the filling 20 and then press it down inside of a 3-inch (8-cm) food ring mold to form a medallion. Alternatively, you can also shape the medallions by hand 21.

Carefully lift the medallions using a small spatula and arrange them on a tray lined with parchment paper 22. Remove the ring mold 23 and repeat the process so you get around 15 medallions. Once they’re all ready, leave to cool in the fridge for at least an hour or until they’ve firmed up nicely 24.

Next, heat the oil for frying and prepare the batter. Pour the flour into a bowl and slowly add the water to it while whisking 25. Season with salt and continue whisking until you get a smooth batter without any lumps 26, and then dip the first medallion in 27.

Drain the excess batter and plunge into the boiling oil 28. You can add other medallions, too, but no more than 2 or 3 at a time. This way, the oil temperature will remain hot at 350°-375°F (180°-190°C). After 3-4 minutes, they should be nice and golden 29, so drain on paper towel and continue cooking the others. Now your Neapolitan pasta fritters are ready! Buon appetito 30!