Italian Starter

Suppli al Telefono

Roman supplì are tomato rice croquettes with a melting mozzarella centre that stretches like a telephone wire.

Jump to recipe More Italian food
35 minsPrep time
45 minsCook time
Serves 2Servings
MediumDifficulty
Suppli al Telefono
About this dish

Suppli al Telefono: the story on the plate

A Roman pizzeria and street-food favourite. Unlike Sicilian arancini, supplì are usually smaller, oval and tomato-rich, with a dramatic mozzarella pull.

Historical background

Supplì are deeply Roman and brilliant for storytelling because the name comes from the mozzarella strand stretching like an old telephone cord.

Why it is famous

Suppli al Telefono is useful because it is both recognisably Italian and regionally specific, helping the page move beyond generic pasta dishes.

Cultural significance

In Lazio, this dish is associated with home cooking, restaurants, feast days or local food identity depending on the recipe.

Nutrition

Estimated nutrition per serving

Useful for meal planning and calorie-aware recipe browsing.

390Calories
13gProtein
45gCarbs
17gFat

Estimated from the exact ingredient measures in the recipe text. Validate with your preferred nutrition calculator before publishing.

Ingredients

What you need

  • 93.33 risotto rice
  • 233.33 light stock
  • 83.33 passata
  • 0.33 olive oil
  • 13.33 grated pecorino romano
  • 0.33 egg
  • 41.67 mozzarella, cut into batons
  • 33.33 plain flour
  • 0.67 eggs, beaten
  • 53.33 breadcrumbs
  • 0.33 neutral oil for frying
  • 0.33 fine sea salt
Method

Step-by-step method

Follow the recipe in order, tasting and adjusting seasoning where needed.

  1. 1. Make tomato rice: Cook rice with passata, stock, olive oil and salt until tender and thick.
  2. 2. Cool and bind: Cool the rice fully, then mix with pecorino and one egg.
  3. 3. Add mozzarella: Shape ovals around a baton of mozzarella.
  4. 4. Coat: Roll in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.
  5. 5. Fry: Fry at 170°C for 3–4 minutes until crisp and dark golden.
  6. 6. Serve: Rest briefly and serve hot.
Cook smarter

Tips, storage and serving advice

Shopping tips

Buy the best version of the core ingredient first; avoid over-spending on decoration if the cheese, seafood, meat, rice, pasta, olive oil or fruit is weak.

Ingredient quality

Use real regional cheeses where named, good olive oil, properly salted water and fresh herbs. Drain wet dairy and seafood carefully before cooking.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is adding too much liquid, overcooking the main ingredient, or using shortcuts that hide the regional character.

Chef’s tips

Cook with restraint. Let the main ingredient lead, season gradually and finish with only the garnish the dish actually needs.

How to know it is cooked

Use the visual cues in the method: tender but not collapsing, glossy not watery, crisp not burnt, set not rubbery, or al dente not soft.

Plating advice

Serve simply on warm plates for savoury dishes or chilled/room-temperature plates for desserts. Keep the focus on the food.

Make ahead

Prepare components ahead where possible, but finish pasta, fried items, seafood and crisp pastry close to serving.

Storage and reheating

Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days where suitable. Fried and fresh seafood dishes are best eaten the same day. Reheat gently only where appropriate. Pasta, seafood, liver, cream-set desserts and filled pastry are usually best freshly served.

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