When you’re looking over the menu of your favorite local pizza joint, it’s likely that you’ll come across two classic entrées: the calzone and stromboli. Although these dishes are similar in appearance and contain many of the same ingredients, they are not the same thing.
What Is A Calzone?
Made from one layer of pizza dough, a calzone is filled with various types of cheese, vegetables, meat, and sauce. The pizza dough is tightly folded over the filling, and the final product resembles a turnover.
The calzone’s classic half-moon shape makes the meal conveniently portable. The dish was born in the city of Naples, Italy, and it was originally called the calzoni, or “pant legs,” a name which suggests that the calzone was meant to be enjoyed en route.
What Is Stromboli?
Unlike the calzone, stromboli does not have Italian roots; it was born in Philadelphia in the 1950s. A calzone consists of only one layer, while stromboli consists of several layers — a result of the pizza dough being rolled into a pinwheel. While a calzone resembles a turnover, stromboli resembles a loaf of bread. Like the calzone, however, stromboli is stuffed with cheese, vegetables, meat, and sauce.
Calzone And Stromboli Fillings
Although these two dishes differ in appearance and origin, they contain similar ingredients. You’ll find both of them on pizza-shop menus with many of these delicious filling options:
Cheese
- ricotta
- mozzarella
- Parmesan
- provolone
- fontina
Meat
- ground beef
- salami
- prosciutto
- pepperoni
- sausage
- bacon
- Canadian bacon
Vegetables
- baby spinach
- broccoli
- shredded onions
- mushrooms
- roasted red peppers
- kale
Order Up!
These delicious dishes are perfect for quiet weeknight family dinners or for celebrations when you need to feed a crowd. Make a point to try these two similar but different classic Italian-style dishes the next time you have the opportunity.
