Some nights you just want to come home, chill in front of the T.V. and eat some comfort food. Whether you’re prepping for the season finale of your favorite show or the big game, there’s nothing like comfort food made from scratch. Try our pasta fritters instead of a traditional mac and cheese to surprise your guests. Cheesy and heart-warming, these pasta fritters are a simple way to add some flair to your weeknight plans.
To make it extra special, try making a tasty sauce by mixing one and a half tablespoons mayonnaise and one tablespoon mustard with some finely chopped chives. Dip generously! and... buon appetito!
Pasta Fritters
Skill Level: Advanced
Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes, plus 1 hour cooling time
Ingredients for 10
1 qt. milk
2 lb. pasta, such as pipe (tubular pipes)
1/2lb. provola, thinly sliced
2 cups bread crumbs
5 oz. fontina cheese, cubed
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Grana Padano, grated
4 eggs, beaten
nutmeg
peanut oil
salt
For the Fontina sauce:
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then remove from the heat.
Gently mix in the flour, then add 1 pinch each nutmeg and salt.
Pour the milk into a saucepan and cook over a medium flame.
Once it is almost boiling, add the flour mixture and cook for a few minutes, stirring with a whisk to obtain a smooth bechamel.
Remove the bechamel from the heat, add the fontina cubes and the grated Grana Padano, and stir until melted.
For the pasta:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.
Drain, then toss in the fontina sauce.
Line a baking dish with parchment paper and pour in the pasta, then cover with another layer of parchment paper.
Level out the pasta and pack it down by pressing the bottom of another baking dish on top of it.
Let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Cut the pasta horizontally into two layers.
Cover one with the thin slices of provola, then place the other layer on top and cut the pasta into 21/2” cubes.
Fill a pot with enough peanut oil to submerge the fritters.
Dip the pasta cubes in the beaten eggs and coat with bread crumbs.
Heat up the oil and fry the cubes immediately.
Remove when they are golden and crispy, then serve them hot.