Supplì
Supplì al telefono
Rome's fried rice croquettes: rice cooked in tomato and meat sauce, shaped round a piece of mozzarella, breaded and fried.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Supplì al telefono.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Rest
- 2 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 40 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Supplì are Rome's answer to arancine, but they are their own dish. The rice is cooked in a tomato and meat sauce rather than saffron broth, cooled, and shaped into oblong croquettes around a piece of mozzarella. Breadcrumbed and fried, they come out crisp outside and soft inside, and when you pull one apart the melted mozzarella stretches into a string, the 'telephone cord' that gives supplì al telefono its name. The rice should be cooked until just tender and then left to cool completely so it holds its shape. Squeeze the mozzarella dry so it melts without making the inside soggy. Egg and breadcrumbs give the thin, crisp Roman crust. Done is a golden, torpedo-shaped croquette with a hot red centre and a stretch of cheese.
What you'll need
13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Rice
- Filling
- Coating
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Rice
- Short-grain rice, arborio400 g
- Beef, minced200 g
- Onion, finely chopped½ medium
- Passata500 g
- Dry white wine80 ml
- Beef stock, hot800 ml
- Olive oil30 ml
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated50 g
Filling
- Mozzarella, cut into 12 sticks and squeezed dry200 g
Coating
- Egg, beaten2 large
- Breadcrumbs, fine150 g
- Neutral oil, for deep-frying1½ l
Ingredients
- Salt4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Soften the onion in the oil, brown the beef, add the wine and let it bubble off, then the passata. Simmer 15 minutes.
25 min
Step 2
Add the rice and cook like a risotto, adding hot broth a ladle at a time, until just tender and thick, about 16 minutes. Stir in the Parmigiano, spread on a tray and cool completely.
20 min
Step 3
Take a spoonful of rice, flatten it in your palm, lay a stick of mozzarella in the middle and close the rice round it into an oblong croquette.
25 min
Step 4
Roll each in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. Chill 30 minutes.
30 min
Step 5
Deep-fry a few at a time at 175°C until deep gold, about 4 minutes. Drain and serve hot.
20 min175°C
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 419 kcal
- Protein
- 15.2 g
- Carbs
- 24.8 g
- Fat
- 28.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 7.5 g
- Fibre
- 1.2 g
- Sugar
- 1.7 g
- Sodium
- 635 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Milk
- Eggs
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Beef → No meat
A plain tomato supplì, 'al pomodoro', is just as Roman.
Tips
- Cook the rice a day ahead if you can; cold rice shapes cleanly.
- Serve hot, or the mozzarella will not stretch.
History & culture
Supplì are the classic Roman starter in a pizzeria, eaten before the pizza arrives, and a staple of the city's friggitorie and pizza-by-the-slice shops. Romans eat them standing up, in a paper napkin, and judge them by the length of the cheese string.
The name comes from the French 'surprise', a word borrowed during the Napoleonic occupation of Rome in the early nineteenth century, for the cheese hidden inside. Early versions were filled with chicken giblets; mozzarella with tomato rice became the standard in the twentieth century.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Supplì take?
3 hr 40 min all in — 40 min prep, 1 hr cook, 2 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 12 supplì. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Dutch oven, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Beef → No meat. A plain tomato supplì, 'al pomodoro', is just as Roman.
Any tips from this recipe?
Cook the rice a day ahead if you can; cold rice shapes cleanly. Serve hot, or the mozzarella will not stretch.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Cook the rice a day ahead if you can; cold rice shapes cleanly.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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