What does panzerotti mean?
Panzerotti are small Italian pastries made by folding pizza dough around a filling, usually mozzarella and tomato, and frying the parcel until crisp and golden. They are commonly served as an appetizer, snack, or accompaniment to a meal, especially in Italian restaurants and pizzerias. The name comes from the Italian singular panzerotto, whose shape and filling have led to the familiar description of panzerotti as pizza pockets. Although they use pizza dough and ingredients, panzerotti are distinct from calzones: they are generally smaller, shaped like half-moons, and fried rather than baked. In English, panzerotti is usually plural, with panzerotto used for one piece. The word retains a strongly Italian culinary association while being widely understood internationally.
nounPanzerotti are small, crescent-shaped Italian pastries made from pizza dough, filled with cheese and often tomato, meat, or other ingredients, then fried. The name is the plural of the Italian singular panzerotto.
- Small Italian fried pastries made from filled pizza dough.
"We shared a basket of hot, cheese-filled panzerotti with the meal."
"The panzerotti arrived with crisp edges and a molten mozzarella filling."
"This Italian restaurant serves panzerotti with the antipasti."
The standard English plural is panzerotti; the singular is panzerotto.
"They ordered two orders of panzerotti for the table."
Panzerotti are the Neapolitan equivalent of a pizza slice folded into a golden, bubbling pocket.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does panzerotti come from?
The word comes from Italian, where panzerotto is the singular of panzerotti. Its name is associated with panzerone, meaning a large or rounded belly, and ultimately with the Italian word panza, meaning belly. The pastry name therefore refers to its folded, belly-like form. Panzerotti spread beyond Italy through Italian restaurants and international pizza cuisine, where they are generally served filled with cheese and often tomato.
Related word forms
How panzerotti is actually used
The word is usually used in the plural. In English, the singular form panzerotto is also used, and the culinary context is primarily Italian and international.
Easily confused with panzerotti
A calzone is a larger, folded and baked or fried Italian dough parcel, while a panzerotto is a small, typically crescent-shaped fried pastry.