Calzone

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Calzone at La Festa, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

A calzone, sometimes referred to as a stuffed pizza, is an Italian turnover made of pizza dough and stuffed with cheese (usually mozzarella cheese and Ricotta, but some varieties contain Parmesan, Provolone, or a locally substituted cheese), meat, vegetables, or a variety of other toppings. The dough is folded over, sealed on one edge, baked (or occasionally deep-fried), and often served with marinara sauce (a sauce based on tomatoes and basil) or bolognese sauce (a meat sauce).

Pronounced in Italian, the word has three syllables, and it is correctly pronounced (IPA: /kalˡzone/), but as the foodstuff became commonplace in America, many people ignored the Italian pronunciation rhyming it with the English word "zone" and pronouncing it as (IPA: /kal'zəʊn/).

Calzones are similar to stromboli, but traditionally the two are distinct dishes, as stromboli usually contains mozzarella cheese (no substitutes) and tends to have marinara sauce. Moreover, Stromboli is rolled to resemble a loaf, whereas a calzone is folded to resemble a semi-circle.

[edit] Regional variations

Apulian fried calzone

Sandwich-sized calzones are often sold at Italian lunch counters or by street vendors because they are easy to eat while standing or walking. Sweet versions, usually smaller and cookie-sized, are a specialty in the Marche. Fried versions filled with tomato and mozzarella, and bacon and an olive in the full version, are made in Puglia.

The first Calzone was invented in a pizzaria in Naples, Italy called Gino Sorbillo.^{[citation needed]}