Suppli al Telefono (Roman Fried Rice Balls)

Rome's most iconic street food — mozzarella-stuffed tomato risotto balls breaded and fried until golden. Suppli al telefono gets its name from the telephone-wire-like cheese pull when you break them apart, a Roman classic with French roots born from the Napoleonic occupation.

smart_display Published 2026-04-01 download Extracted 2026-04-22

30m Prep

40m Cook

3h Total

6 Servings

italian street-food roman fried rice-balls mozzarella arancini appetizer snack suppli

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic cloves (smashed, shell removed)
handful fresh basil stems
to coat the bottom of pot olive oil
to taste tomato passata (or puree)
to taste salt
1 cup Arborio rice
knob + 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
as needed chicken or vegetable stock
generous amount Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan, or a mix) (grated)
as needed for stuffing fresh mozzarella (cut into sticks, dried on paper towels overnight)
0.75 cup plain breadcrumbs (seasoned with salt)
0.5 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
0.25 cup vodka (for the batter — evaporates faster than water for a crispier crust)
0.25 cup water (for the batter, adjust to achieve thin runny consistency)
to half-fill pot neutral frying oil

Steps

1

Make the weekday tomato sauce: heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a small pot. Add the basil stems and smashed garlic cloves. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the garlic begins to brown around the edges, infusing the oil with garlic and basil flavor.

~5 min
2

Add good quality tomato passata or puree to the pot. Season with salt and let the sauce simmer on low while you start the risotto.

~20 min
3

In a sauté pan or high-rimmed pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter. Swirl together until the butter is melted and bubbly. Add about 1 cup of Arborio rice and toast it, coating every grain in fat until you get a slightly nutty aroma.

~5 min
4

Add a few ladles of stock plus 2 ladles of the tomato sauce to the rice. This gives the rice its characteristic red color. Unlike traditional risotto, you can add several ladles at a time. Simmer with enough liquid to keep the rice covered for about 20 minutes, adding more stock as needed. Stir occasionally — approach this somewhere between cooking rice and making risotto.

Tip: Cook the rice only about 3/4 of the way through — it will finish cooking when fried. As the rice approaches super al dente, reduce the amount of stock you add so there's not too much liquid when it's done.

~20 min
5

Once the rice is par-cooked, kill the heat. Stir in 2–3 tablespoons of unsalted butter until melted, then finish with a generous amount of grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan, or a mix — Pecorino is traditional for Rome). The mixture should hold when you swipe through it.

~3 min
6

Pour the risotto onto a sheet tray and spread it out to cool faster. Refrigerate until completely chilled and firm — ideally overnight. Also cut fresh mozzarella into stick-sized pieces, place on paper towels, cover with another towel to wick moisture, and refrigerate overnight.

Tip: Chilling overnight makes the rice pliable and workable, and the mozzarella properly dry so it doesn't cause the suppli to burst.
7

The next day, take a spoonful of the chilled risotto and flatten it in your palm. Place a piece of dried mozzarella in the center and wrap the rice around it, completely sealing the cheese inside. Shape using your palms like you would seal a burger patty. Repeat with remaining rice and mozzarella. Place formed suppli in the fridge to keep firm.

Tip: The goal is to completely seal the mozzarella into the risotto so it doesn't seep out when it melts during frying.

~15 min
8

Set up a two-stage breading station: in one bowl combine flour, 1 egg, about 1/4 cup vodka, and 1/4 cup water. Whisk to a thin, runny batter consistency (add more water or vodka if too thick). In a second bowl, add about 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs seasoned with salt. Dip each suppli in batter, then breadcrumbs, then back in batter, then breadcrumbs again to double coat. Ensure no wet spots — it should be completely encased. Refrigerate breaded suppli until ready to fry.

Tip: Vodka evaporates faster than water, creating a crispier batter. Refrigerating the breaded suppli before frying helps the batter dry out and adhere better.

~15 min
9

Heat frying oil in a pot filled no more than halfway, to 325°F (not the typical 350°F for fries — the lower temp ensures the cheese melts before the breading over-browns). Fry in batches of no more than 4 at a time for 5–6 minutes, gently moving them around constantly, until deeply golden brown. Drain on a wire rack. You can hold them and drop back in the oil for 30 seconds to reheat when ready to serve.

Tip: 325°F is key — higher heat will crisp the breading before the mozzarella has time to fully melt.

~15 min
10

Let the suppli rest a couple of minutes before serving — they are extremely hot inside. Pull one apart to reveal the telephone-wire cheese stretch. Serve with the reserved tomato sauce for dipping.

~2 min

Nutrition (per serving)

320

Calories

12g

Protein

35g

Carbs

15g

Fat

Fiber

Cultural Context

Suppli al telefono is Rome's most famous street food, historically sold alongside pizza al taglio (sheet-pan pizza) in Roman pizzerias. Despite seeming like a cousin to the Sicilian arancini, suppli is actually more closely inspired by the French croquette de riz, introduced during Napoleon's occupation of Italy in the 19th century. Italians added mozzarella to the center and the French were supposedly 'surprised' — the word 'suppli' coming from the French word for surprise. Unlike arancini, which are larger and saffron-colored, suppli are smaller, tomato-red, and meant as a snack rather than a meal. The name 'al telefono' refers to the stretchy mozzarella that resembles an old telephone cord when the ball is pulled apart.