These phyllo pizza rolls are fun appetizers that don’t require too much labor. A quick tomato jam, gooey mozzarella cheese and warm bites of capicola wrapped in a flaky exterior. They’re golden brown, crunchy and satisfying! Best served warm.
Equipment needed for phyllo pizza rolls
You only need a few items to make these:
- A large metal sheet pan – like the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch ones.
- parchment paper – helpful to keep the rolls from sticking to the pan. Makes for easier cleanup!
- A saucepan – to make the quick tomato mixture.
- A pasty brush – to brush each roll with butter, which will help the rolls achieve a golden color.
- A rubber spatula – probably the easiest utensil for making tomato jam.
Ingredients for phyllo pizza rolls
Here’s what to add to your grocery list:
- cherry tomatoes – you can also use grape or campari tomatoes if you prefer.
- granulated sugar – we will be using a sprinkle of sugar to sweeten the tomato mixture and let it thicken.
- white vinegar – just a splash! I used Heinz distilled white vinegar.
- fresh mozzarella – just buy a standard ball of it – I like Bel Gioioso fresh mozzarella.
- Sliced capicola – you can also substitute this for salami, pepperoni, or another cured meat that you’d prefer.
- A 16 oz. pack of phyllo dough – you will probably only use half of the container for this recipe, unless you double it! I used Athens brand Phyllo dough.
- unsalted butter – we only need a tablespoon or so.
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning – for topping. I buy this at Trader Joe’s, but you can also top these rolls with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sea salt or a combination.
Tips for making these pizza rolls
Don’t overstuff the rolls – it’s easy to over stuff the rolls, which will cause them to seep out and tear. Less is often better, or practice a couple starting out. Be careful when rolling too!
Brush each one with enough butter – this is key to make them nice and golden. Without it, they may look pretty pale!
How to make phyllo pizza rolls
Let’s make them together!
Step 1
In advance: take your frozen phyllo dough and let it sit at room temperature for about 1-2 hours until room temperature. Then move on to the tomato jam. Add the quartered tomatoes to the saucepan with the sugar, water and vinegar. Heat the saucepan on medium heat, and stir occasionally for about 6-7 minutes. The tomatoes will release their juices and bubble slightly. Once the tomatoes are soft, smash them with your spatula (to release any extra flavor). Keep heating until the moisture has reduced by ⅔rds and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. it will continue to thicken as it cools.
Step 2
Prepare the phyllo. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Carefully unroll the phyllo and use your fingers to peel 2 thin sheets of the dough and place them on your working surface. Once the tomato mixture is cool, place a small spoonful of the jam on one end of the dough (about one inch away from the border of one vertical end). Use your spatula to smear the jam out a little bit but don’t get too close to any edges.
Step 3
Add toppings. Add a small slice of mozzarella on top of the jam followed by some capicola. Then gently fold in both long sides of the phyllo dough (about 1 ½ inches on both sides). Then fold over the tail end inch of dough over the toppings you just laid down.Then carefully fold the whole roll until you get to the other end. Carefully transfer the roll to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process until you use all of your filling.
Step 4
Ready to bake. Brush each phyllo roll with melted butter and sprinkle on the bagel seasoning if you wish. Place the rolls in the oven to bake for 10 minutes, until golden and crispy. Wait about 5 minutes to let them cool and serve hot while the cheese is gooey!
Storage and reheating
These phyllo pizza rolls taste a lot better the day of. If you don’t eat them when they are ready, the phyllo tends to get a bit soggy and soft and loses that crunch, and I truly do not know how to prevent this from happening! It seems to help if you wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in a container in the fridge, but just know they won’t stay as crispy when you reheat them.
Other recipes to try
If you liked these phyllo pizza rolls, check out these other appetizers:
Slow Cooked Beef, Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Empanadas
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Phyllo Pizza Rolls
Equipment
- 1 large metal sheet pan
- parchment paper
- 1 saucepan
- 1 pasty brush
- 1 rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- ½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 4 tbsp water
- ⅓ cup fresh mozzarella sliced
- ⅓ cup capicola sliced
- 20 sheets phyllo dough (or half a 16 oz package), defrosted
- 1 tsbp unsalted butter melted
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning for topping
Instructions
- Take your frozen phyllo dough and let it sit at room temperature for about 1-2 hours until room temperature. To start, make the tomato jam. Add the quartered tomatoes to the saucepan with the sugar, water and vinegar. Heat the saucepan on medium heat, and stir occasionally for about 6-7 minutes. The tomatoes will release their juices and bubble slightly. Once the tomatoes are soft, smash them with your spatula. Keep heating until the moisture has reduced by ⅔rds and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.1 cup cherry tomatoes, ½ tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp white vinegar, 4 tbsp water
- Prepare the phyllo. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Carefully unroll the phyllo and use your fingers to peel 2 thin sheets of the dough and place them on your working surface. Once the tomato mixture is cool, place a small spoonful of the jam on one end of the dough (about one inch away from the border of one vertical end). Use your spatula to smear the jam out a little bit but don't get too close to any edges.⅓ cup capicola, 20 sheets phyllo dough, ⅓ cup fresh mozzarella
- Add a small slice of mozzarella on top of the jam followed by some capicola. Then gently fold in both long sides of the phyllo dough (about 1 ½ inches on both sides). Then fold over the tail end inch of dough over the toppings you just laid down.Then carefully fold the whole roll until you get to the other end. Carefully transfer the roll to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process until you use all of your filling.1 tsbp unsalted butter, Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
- Then brush each phyllo roll with melted butter and sprinkle on the bagel seasoning if you wish. Place the rolls in the oven to bake for 10 minutes, until golden and crispy. Wait about 5 minutes to let them cool and serve hot while the cheese is gooey!
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