Palmabella's Passions

This recipe is ambitious. If you have never made it before, you will have to get over two fears:
1. Fear of fillo dough (or phyllo)
2. Fear of using LOTS of butter

These are crispy fillo dough triangles filled with whatever filling you like. You can make spinach and goat cheese, mushroom-sausage, crab, or anything you like!
I used this, which is very similar to my "Pizza Rustica" recipe:
This was enough for TWO boxes of fillo dough, and made 168 panzarotti to freeze

2 c. ricotta
4 eggs
3/4 c. grated Romano cheese
8 oz. chopped prosciutto
8 oz. chopped salami
1 lb. grated mozarella
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. butter (yes, I said POUND!)
2 boxes frozen fillo dough

Thaw fillo dough overnight in the fridge (works best), or two hours on the counter. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl for the filling.

There will be 2 rolls of fillo sheets in a box. Only open one at a time. Unroll one package (leave the other in the fridge until you are ready for it). Cover sheets with wax paper, and then a wrung out wet dishtowel. Melt a cube of butter, and use a silicone pastry brush. I make mine on a plastic pastry mat. Take one sheet of dough and lay the rectangle horizontally. Brush with butter. Lay a second sheet on top. Brush with butter. (about 2 dips with the pastry brush per sheet...not too much, or they will be greasy).Cut horizontally into four strips (the long way). Put a small amount of filling at the end of each strip of dough, and fold into triangles, like a flag. (I make my little globs of filling triangle shaped, so they fold easily, and fill the whole little panzarotti, which will come out flatter, with filling to the corners.) Place these on a disposable cookie sheet.

Repeat, keeping fillo sheets covered, and butter hot. If a sheet rips, or sticks, don't worry. The fillo is very forgiving. "Glue" the broken one on top or patch with the butter. If sheets crack, you don't have them covered. If them stick, or get too moist, take the damp towel off for a few minutes.

Cover with foil, and freeze filled cookie sheets. Thaw for an hour, and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes, until golden and crisp.