Name: Supplì al telefono
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Cuisine: Italian, Rome / Lazio
Ingredients: 300 g Vialone Nano or another risotto rice; 250 g peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped; 500 ml water or light meat broth; 20 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 25 g Grana Padano, finely grated; 2 large eggs, for binding the cooled rice; 5 g fine sea salt; 1 g black pepper; 200 g veal, very small dice; 150 g veal liver, very small dice; 100 g prosciutto crudo, small dice; 15 g onion, finely chopped; 40 ml dry white wine; 2 g fresh thyme leaves; 200 g low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 12 batons; 1 large egg, beaten for breading; 250 g fine dry breadcrumbs; 2 L peanut or sunflower frying oil, or enough for deep-frying

Supplì al telefono: wide hero view of crisp breaded Roman rice croquettes, including one split open to reveal a molten mozzarella centre, served beside tomato sauce

Prep50 minutes

Cook35 minutes

Total2 h 25 min

Yield12 supplì

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The dish

About Supplì al telefono

Turismo Roma describes supplì as a cornerstone of Roman street food: elongated red rice croquettes with a mozzarella centre, distinct from Sicilian arancini in both shape and filling.

The “telephone” name refers to the hot mozzarella strand formed when a freshly fried supplì is pulled into two halves. That effect requires a low-moisture mozzarella enclosed completely inside the rice.

La Cucina Italiana’s traditional Roman formulation combines tomato rice with a savoury meat mixture that can include veal, liver and prosciutto. Older Roman versions used poultry giblets; modern versions often simplify the ragù.

Rice must cool completely before shaping. Warm rice is sticky and weak, while chilled rice can be compressed tightly around the filling without gaps that let cheese escape.

Frying around 175 °C gives the breadcrumb shell time to brown while the centre becomes hot enough to melt the mozzarella. Oil that is much cooler produces a greasy shell.

Technique

Three things that matter

Cool the rice completely. Cold, firm rice shapes cleanly and seals mozzarella inside.
Use dry mozzarella. Wet fresh mozzarella releases whey and can split the croquette during frying.
Keep the oil near 175 °C. Stable frying temperature gives a crisp shell before the cheese leaks.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Red rice base

300 gVialone Nano or another risotto rice
250 gpeeled tomatoesdrained and chopped
500 mlwater or light meat broth
20 mlextra-virgin olive oil
25 gGrana Padanofinely grated
2large eggsfor binding the cooled rice
5 gfine sea salt
1 gblack pepper

Traditional meat filling

200 gvealvery small dice
150 gveal liververy small dice
100 gprosciutto crudosmall dice
15 gonionfinely chopped
40 mldry white wine
2 gfresh thyme leaves

Centre and breading

200 glow-moisture mozzarellacut into 12 batons
1large eggbeaten for breading
250 gfine dry breadcrumbs
2 Lpeanut or sunflower frying oilor enough for deep-frying

Step by step

Method

Cook the rice and meat filling

Cook the red rice. Combine rice, tomatoes, 20 ml olive oil, water or broth, salt and pepper. Cook at a controlled simmer, stirring often, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes.
The rice should be cooked through but dry enough to mound rather than flow.
Enrich and cool. Let the rice cool 10 minutes, then mix in 2 beaten eggs and Grana. Spread on a tray and refrigerate until completely cold, about 1 hour.
Cold rice should feel cohesive rather than loose or steamy.
Cook the meat filling. Sweat onion in a small amount of oil, add veal, liver and prosciutto and sauté briskly until browned. Deglaze with wine, evaporate fully and add thyme. Cool.
The filling should be savoury and almost dry, with no puddled liquid.

Shape the telephone croquettes

Portion the rice. Divide the chilled rice into 12 equal portions. Flatten one portion in a damp palm.
The rice layer should be thick enough to surround the filling without bare spots.
Add meat and mozzarella. Place a little cooled meat filling and one mozzarella baton in the centre. Close the rice around it and shape into an elongated cylinder.
No cheese should remain exposed at the seam.
Chill shaped supplì briefly. Place the shaped croquettes on a tray and refrigerate 15–20 minutes while the oil heats.
The surface should feel firm rather than soft and tacky.

Bread and fry

Bread firmly. Dip each croquette in beaten egg, drain excess and coat thoroughly with breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to create a complete shell.
There should be no wet or bald patches in the crumb coating.
Fry at 175 °C. Fry in small batches for about 3–4 minutes, turning gently, until evenly deep golden. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.
The crust should be crisp and the croquettes should feel hot through.
Drain without steaming. Lift to a wire rack or absorbent paper and let stand 2 minutes.
Do not pile hot supplì, which softens the crust with steam.

Serve al telefono

Check the mozzarella strand. Serve immediately; when one supplì is pulled in half, the melted mozzarella should stretch between the two pieces.
The filling must be piping hot, so open carefully and allow steam to escape before biting.

Practical guidance

Meat tradition

Roman recipes vary. The richer veal/liver/prosciutto version reflects older trattoria practice; a simpler ground-meat ragù is a common modern adaptation.

Mozzarella

Use a well-drained, low-moisture product. Fresh buffalo mozzarella is delicious but often too wet unless thoroughly drained and dried.

Freezing

Breaded uncooked supplì can be frozen on a tray, then bagged. Fry from frozen at a slightly lower initial temperature and allow extra time.

Tomato sauce in the photograph

The verified images include a small bowl of tomato sauce. It is treated as an optional serving accompaniment, not as part of the defining Roman filling.

Troubleshooting

The supplì split in the oil. A seam was thin, the mozzarella was too wet or the oil temperature dropped too far.
The crust is greasy. The frying oil was below temperature or too many croquettes were added at once.
The mozzarella does not stretch. The centre was not heated through or a cheese with poor melting characteristics was used.
The rice falls apart while shaping. It was too warm, too wet or insufficiently compressed around the filling.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 supplì
Calories: approximately 330 kcal
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Protein: 14 g
Fat: 14 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: approximately 520 mg

Frying-oil uptake is estimated and varies with coating, temperature and drain time.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk.

Handle liver and raw veal separately from cooked rice and ready-to-eat ingredients, and cook the meat filling thoroughly.

Use a deep stable pot for frying, keep water away from hot oil and never leave the fryer unattended.

FAQ

What does “al telefono” mean?

When a hot supplì is pulled in half, melted mozzarella forms a long strand between the pieces, reminiscent of an old telephone cord.

Are supplì the same as arancini?

No. Roman supplì are generally smaller and elongated, traditionally use red ragù rice and have a mozzarella centre.

Can the rice be made a day ahead?

Yes. Chill it promptly, keep covered in the refrigerator and shape the supplì the next day.

Final note

What matters most

Result: A thin, crunchy breadcrumb shell around savoury red rice, rich meat and a hot mozzarella centre that stretches when opened.
Key: Cold dry rice, completely enclosed mozzarella and stable frying temperature prevent leaks and greasiness.