In “Parks and Recreation,” Ben Wyatt is famously obsessed with calzones.
Ben’s enthusiasm for the Italian baked dish becomes one of his most recognizable running jokes. He treats calzones as an ideal food and frequently recommends them with far more intensity than the situation seems to require. The joke works because Ben is otherwise portrayed as highly analytical, restrained, and often socially awkward; calzones are one of the few subjects that reliably make him visibly excited.
A calzone is made by folding pizza dough over fillings and baking it, usually into a crescent shape. Common fillings include mozzarella or ricotta, other cheeses, cured meats, and vegetables. It differs from stromboli, which is generally rolled rather than folded.
The answer is not lasagna, ravioli, or manicotti. Those are Italian dishes, but the show specifically makes calzones Ben’s signature food fixation. His obsession is also a memorable contrast with Leslie Knope’s intense devotion to waffles.