Italian Nachos
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Fried pieces of wonton wrappers are dusted with a homemade Italian seasoning blend, shredded mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage, and pepperoni cups. The nachos are broiled until the cheese melts and served garnished with dollops of creamy ricotta cheese for a fresh touch, sliced pepperoncini peppers and a side of marinara sauce for dipping. I recommend serving it with a spoon so the sauce can be spread over the nachos. These nachos are great for a fun appetizer before enjoying some pizza or as a game day snack.
Italian Nachos
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
Wontons
I tested this recipe using several variations of fried pasta dough as the chips, and, in the end the wontons still won! Frying wontons as the chips for these nachos is a quick process, and they get a great delicate yet crispy texture.
Italian seasoning blend
I top the freshly fried wonton chips with a homemade Italian spice blend made with dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. I grind the spice blend in a mortar and pestle for a finer grind.
Italian sausage
I use hot Italian sausage to top the nachos though you can also use sweet Italian sausage based on preference. This sausage is made from ground pork shoulder and seasoned with a blend of garlic, paprika, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes.
Pepperoni
Rather than buying thin rounds of pre-sliced pepperoni, my goal was to create small pepperoni cups. I slice rounds from sticks of cured pepperoni, then par-broil them so the edges curve up to form cups.
Mozzarella
I use part-skim, also called low-moisture mozzarella, for both filling and topping the manicotti in this recipe. Fresh mozzarella has a higher water content, and it becomes runny rather than gooey as it melts.
Ricotta
I spoon a bit of creamy whole milk ricotta cheese over the top of the nachos just before serving. It adds a great fresh contrast to the crispy chips, sausage and pepperoni.
Pepperoncini
Pickled pepperoncini peppers don’t have much heat, they are known for their sweet and bitter flavor, adding just the right amount of acidity to the nachos.
Marinara
I serve warmed marinara sauce on the side, rather than over the top of the nachos so they don’t get soggy. Make your own using my recipe here or use your favorite store bought sauce.
How to Make Italian Nachos
Step 1: Mix the Italian seasoning.
In a small bowl mix together the spices. For a finer grind, add to a mortar and pestle and grind. Set aside until ready to use.
Step 2: Fry wontons.
Add about an inch of vegetable oil to a large cast-iron skillet or heavy bottomed pot. Heat oil over medium heat to 350°F (180ºC). Working a few wontons at a time, add them to the skillet and fry on both sides, about 30 seconds total. Do not add too many at a time or it will crowd the pan.
Step 3: Sprinkle wontons with seasoning.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and repeat with remaining wontons. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning blend.
Step 4: Cook sausage.
Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Add the sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it into pieces, until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Step 5: Broil pepperoni.
Heat oven to broil on high with a rack set in the top ⅓ of the oven. Arrange pepperoni slices on a baking sheet and broil until the pepperoni edges curl up into cups but they aren’t browned.
Step 6: Top nachos.
Arrange wontons chips on a baking sheet. Spread the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Arrange the pepperoni cup and cooked sausage over the top of the cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 7: Assemble and serve.
Spoon the ricotta in small drops over the nachos. Top with pepperoncini and parsley. Add marinara to a small bowl and serve on the side with a small spoon for spreading on the nachos. Serve hot.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- The marinara sauce can be swapped for another favorite like vodka sauce.
- The hot Italian sausage can be swapped for sweet Italian sausage based on preference.
- Other pizza toppings like sliced black olives, sautéed bell peppers or diced Roma tomatoes also make great toppings.
How to prep this recipe in advance
- The wonton chips can be fried up to a few hours in advance but are best fried fresh.
- I recommend preparing the ingredients ahead of time for easy assembly. Mix the seasoning blend, slice the pepperoni, cook and store the Italian sausage refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this Italian nacho recipe, give these a try and follow me on Instagram:
Italian Nachos
Ingredients:
For the Italian seasoning blend:
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
For the nachos and assembly:
- 25 square wonton wrappers
- Vegetable oil, for frying, as needed
- ½ pound Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 ounces pepperoni stick, thinly sliced into ¼” rounds (add number of ounces)
- 1½ cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
- ¾ cup Marinara sauce, warmed
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 6 pepperoncini peppers, thinly sliced
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions:
For the Italian seasoning blend:
- In a small bowl mix together the spices. For a finer grind, add to a mortar and pestle and grind. Set aside until ready to use.
For the nachos and assembly:
- Add about an inch of vegetable oil to a large cast-iron skillet or heavy bottomed pot. Heat oil over medium heat to 350°F (180ºC). Working a few wontons at a time, add them to the skillet and fry on both sides, about 30 seconds total. Do not add too many at a time or it will crowd the pan.
- Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and repeat with remaining wontons. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning blend.
- Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Add the sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it into pieces, until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
- Heat oven to broil on high with a rack set in the top ⅓ of the oven. Arrange pepperoni slices on a baking sheet and broil until the pepperoni edges curl up into cups but they aren’t browned.
- Arrange wontons chips on a baking sheet. Spread the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Arrange the pepperoni cup and cooked sausage over the top of the cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Spoon the ricotta in small drops over the nachos. Top with pepperoncini and parsley. Add marinara to a small bowl and serve on the side with a small spoon for spreading on the nachos. Serve hot.
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I made these for a Super Bowl party and everyone loved the variation on traditional nachos. The seasoning on the wantons was so good. I could have eaten them without any topping.I made the pepperoni and sausage ahead of time which was so nice not having to miss any of the game or commercials doing the prep work.