Pasta Fritters with Prosciutto and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

10 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb dried spaghetti
4 oz cooked prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
8 oz smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Canola oil (or extra virgin olive oil), for frying
2 cups plain bread crumbs

Directions:

Melt butter in a 1-qt saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add 1/2 cup flour.

Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add cream and boil.

Reduce heat to medium.

Cook until thickened, 4-5 minutes.

Set sauce aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Grease a 9″ by 13″ baking dish.

Cook pasta until ‘al dente’, about 7 minutes.

Drain and transfer to a bowl.

Add reserved sauce, prosciutto, mozzarella, salt, and pepper.

Mix until combined.

Press pasta mixture into baking dish.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Pour enough canola or olive oil into a 6-qt saucepan to a depth of 2 inches.

Heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°F.

Whisk remaining flour with 1 cup water into a batter.

Place bread crumbs in a bowl.

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out 30 rounds out of pasta mixture.

Dip rounds in batter.

Roll in bread crumbs.

Fry until golden and crisp, 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot. Makes 30 fritters.