The cuzzetiello: aka the sandwich with Neapolitan ragù

The true Neapolitan marenna (or snack): cuzzetiello with ragù

As often happens, the tastiest traditional recipes arise from the need to bring something good, genuine and nutritious to the table with what was found at home. The recipe we are offering you today is truly a tribute to the ability to reorganize peasant but also Italian culture; in fact, both for the homemade Neapolitan ragù, originally very different from the recipe for Bolognese ragù, born as a poor dish, and for the use of homemade bread (often even from the day before) and finally for the ingredients that we can use for the filling, the Neapolitan-style stuffed sandwich is truly the recovery dish par excellence.

How is cuzzetiello born and where to eat it?

Born out of necessity, and from the usual Italian practice of dipping homemade bread in ragù while it is still in the pan - in addition to the much loved slipper - grown as a snack - or marenna - for kids, tasty and nutritious, it continues today as a true street food dish and often gourmet that we can find on the menus of many clubs, farmhouses and tracks located in the streets of Naples.

The recipe for this sandwich, usually filled with ragù, aubergines, but also fish or stew, is really simple: be careful to think that it is a quick dish because in Naples it is a really serious matter! Homemade bread which, without the crumb, becomes a cone-like and crunchy container to be filled with ragù or other rigorously homemade ingredients typical of Neapolitan culture: in short, there is never a limit to the goodness!

Stuffed Neapolitan cuzzetiello: the variations

It was born as a sandwich filled with ragù or ragù and meatballs, but the many variations that have subsequently emerged are truly mouth-watering! For example, the cuzzetiello with aubergine parmigiana has become a real must among Neapolitan street food stalls; the super classic version of aubergine parmigiana, baked and used as a filling for an artisan sandwich, together with mozzarella or provola is truly something not to be missed.

Another famous version is the one that uses a tasty veal stew with potatoes as a filling: absurd to think about but fantastic in taste. Other versions include fried fish, fried meatballs, seared vegetables or other tasty recipes that Neapolitan cuisine gives us, in short, the limit is only your imagination - or the space in the sandwich -.

The quick recipe for cuzzetiello with ragù and meatballs

Cuzzetiello ingredients with ragù

• 500 g of selected minced beef
• 250 ml of milk
• 190 g of Bovì ragù
• 180 g of Parmigiano Reggiano
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 baguette of bread or bread of your choice
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 red onion
• EVO oil to taste
• Salt and Pepper To Taste

Stuffed sandwich procedure with Neapolitan ragù

First, empty all the crumbs from the chosen sandwich to create the tasty container of our ragù. The baguette is suitable for the conical shape, as soon as it is made we keep it aside.

Let's prepare the meatballs. First, soak the crumb that we removed from the bread in milk and squeeze well. Then, we take a bowl and add the minced meat, the cheese, the finely chopped onion, the parsley, the bread, two eggs, salt and pepper.

Mix everything together and create not too large meatballs, if you like you can create mini meatballs. Place on a plate and let rest in the refrigerator for about half an hour.

At this point, if you don't have the opportunity to prepare the sauce in time or you want to bring a quick dish to the table, to speed things up, you can use our convenient ready-made ragù and heat it in a large pan that can contain the meatballs. As soon as the ragù is nice and hot, add the meatballs and cook for 20 - 30 minutes over low heat.

We finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce, once ready we can have fun and fill our sandwiches with this tasty sauce, add a sprinkling of Parmesan, a basil leaf and bring to the table a revisitation of the original cuzzetiello recipe.