Hangry Italian Nachos
Ok… so they’re not really “Italian”, but they definitely have Italian flavor… and they’re delicious.
I make mine with fried wonton wrapper, but you can make your own thin pasta sheets if you know how, or feel like doing all that work. I add crumbled Italian sausage. You can see in the pics I added extra fennel seed because that’s how I roll. Then made some Americanized Alfredo Sauce, sliced roasted red peppers, pepperoncini rings, capers, shredded whole milk low moisture mozzarella (NOT the part skim shit!), then topped it all with some freshly shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano.
Crunchy, creamy, meaty, cheesy, a little salty… ok, get your mind out of the gutter and get in the kitchen to make these now!
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 Package of wonton wrappers (You won’t use all of them in this dish, so freeze the rest).
4 large cloves of garlic.
1 lb of loose Italian Sausage. Links cut open and removed from the casing will work if you can’t get the loose kind.
1/2 cup of heavy cream
8 oz of really good butter. I prefer Kerrygold in the gold wrapper so that would be half a package of Kerrygold.
1/3 cup each of freshly shredded/grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano.
1/4 cup of roasted red peppers sliced into one inch strips.
1/4 cup of pepperoncini rings, sliced into one inch strips.
2 tablespoons of capers.
How to make them:
Start by heating up some oil about an inch deep in a wok or skillet to 375F (190C).
Then slice some of the wonton sheets in half diagonally like you see in the pictures. The amount of sheets will be up to you.
Toast 4 teaspoons of fennel seed in a skillet, then ground 2/3 of them in a spice grinder to make them rough chopped.
Heat up a skillet on medium low, with a Tbsp of oil and two finely diced large cloves of garlic.
Add all of the fennel seed to the oil and garlic, and stir for a minute.
Add the sausage and stir to combine, breaking up the sausage into 3/4 inch chunks as it cooks.
Start frying the halved wonton wrappers in small batches until you’ve got your desired amount. When they’re slight brown, move them to a draining rack or paper towels to drain. Season with salt as they are placed on the rack/towels.
In another skillet, slowly melt the butter, while adding a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream at a time and let them combine. As they combine, add a couple of tablespoons of the cheese mixture and let the cheese dissolve into the mix and thicken it a little. Continue that process of butter, cream, and cheese until the mix is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Chop up the roasted red peppers and pepperoncinis into one inch strips.
Shred up the whole milk low moisture mozzarella (NOT the part skim crap!) for a topping.
Once all that is done, you’re ready to assemble as you see fit. I like to put a few fried wontons in a bowl, and layer things on, then add more sheets, and layer it all again until I’m friggin stuffed!
