Supplì al Telefono

Name: Supplì al Telefono
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 57 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g Rice; 300 g Tomato sauce; 120 g Mozzarella, cut into batons; 70 g Breadcrumb; 30 g Parmigiano, finely grated; 5 g Salt; 1 g Black pepper, freshly ground; 450 ml Water; 55 ml Olive oil; 1 clove Garlic, minced; 15 g Butter

Supplì al Telefono · ready in 57 min · 4 servings · 530 kcal per serving · medium · 11 ingredients

Roman street food at its most charming: tomato rice is wrapped around mozzarella, fried crisp, and served hot so the cheese stretches like a telephone wire.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 32 min
Total: 57 min
Serves: 4
kcal: 530
Difficulty: medium

Italian Snacks & starters Vegetarian

A QiMeal recipe · Updated 3 October 2026

Ingredients · 4 servings

200 gRice
300 gTomato sauce
120 gMozzarella, cut into batons
70 gBreadcrumb
30 gParmigiano, finely grated
5 gSalt
1 gBlack pepper, freshly ground
450 mlWater
55 mlOlive oil
1 cloveGarlic, minced
15 gButter

Equipment

stovetop, saucepan, tray, knife, mixing bowl, wooden spoon, kitchen thermometer, deep pot, shallow bowl, slotted spoon, serving plate

Instructions

Mise en place
Gather rice, tomato sauce, cheeses, crumbs, pantry items, a saucepan, tray, knife, bowls, spoon, thermometer, and deep pot. · 8 min
What to look for: All ingredients are measured and tools are within reach.
Cook tomato rice
Melt butter in the saucepan, soften garlic briefly, then add rice, tomato sauce, water, salt, and pepper and simmer until thick. · 20 min
What to look for: Rice is tender and the tomato mixture looks thick and spoonable.
Cool rice base
Stir in Parmigiano, spread the rice on a tray, and cool until firm enough to scoop without collapsing. · 20 min
What to look for: Rice holds its shape when pressed with a spoon.
Shape cheese centers
Cut mozzarella into 8 batons, scoop rice with wet hands, place cheese in the center, and seal each piece into a compact oval. · 12 min
What to look for: Each oval is smooth with no cheese showing through the rice.
Coat with breadcrumb
Roll each rice oval in breadcrumb, pressing gently so the coating clings in an even layer over the whole surface. · 5 min
What to look for: Croquettes are evenly covered with a dry crumb coating.
Fry until crisp
Heat olive oil to 170°C / 338°F and fry the supplì in batches, turning carefully until deep golden and crisp. · 7 min
What to look for: Crust is deep golden and bubbles slow around each croquette.
Serve hot
Drain briefly, rest for 2 minutes, and serve hot so the mozzarella stretches into the classic telephone wire when pulled apart. · 3 min
What to look for: Mozzarella stretches in long strands when a supplì is opened.

Nutrition (per serving)

kcal	530
Protein	17 g
Carbohydrates	59 g
of which sugars	4 g
Fat	26 g
of which saturated	9 g
Fibre	2 g
Sodium	1147 mg

Nutri-ScoreC

Allergens

Contains: gluten, milk

Storage and reheating

Fridge: up to 3 days
Freezer: yes, up to 1 months
Reheat on a tray until the crust is crisp and the center is hot, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Ingredient substitutions

Rice

Short grain rice: Use a starchy rice that binds well after cooling.

Tomato sauce

Plain tomato sauce: Choose a simple smooth sauce without added herbs for a classic Roman profile.

Mozzarella

Fior di latte mozzarella: Drain well so the croquettes seal and fry cleanly.

Breadcrumb

Fine breadcrumb: Fine crumbs give the most even crust.

Parmigiano

Finely grated Parmigiano: Use freshly grated cheese for better binding and flavor.

Salt

Fine salt: Fine salt dissolves evenly in the rice.