Pastizzi (Maltese Ricotta and Pea Pastries)

We took the kids to Malta two summers ago mostly because Lucas is obsessed with anything involving a fort, and the food ended up being the real souvenir, specifically these flaky, ricotta-stuffed pastries that we ate approximately every morning from a bakery near our rental, standing up, still too hot to hold properly.

Pastizzi are built from a laminated dough not unlike puff pastry, folded and rolled to build dozens of buttery layers, then wrapped around a ricotta filling, or in the classic second variety, a curried mashed pea filling, and shaped into their signature open-topped little boats before baking until deeply golden and shatteringly flaky.

The lamination takes patience but no special skill, just cold butter and a little time in the fridge between folds. These freeze unbaked exceptionally well, so I always make a double batch. Serve them alongside our Ftira Maltija (recipe on the site) for a proper Maltese spread.

Pastizzi Recipe

Prep time: 40 minutes (plus dough resting) · Cook time: 30 minutes · Total: 1 hour 30 minutes · Servings: 16 pastries · Calories: ~210 per serving

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, plus 4 tbsp melted butter for laminating
• 2/3 cup ice water
• For the ricotta filling:
• 15 oz whole-milk ricotta, well drained
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• For the pea filling (optional, for a second batch):
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Make the dough: whisk the flour and salt, cut in the 3/4 cup cold butter until pea-sized, then add the ice water gradually until the dough just comes together. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.
2. Roll the dough into a large thin rectangle, brush with a third of the melted butter, and fold into thirds like a letter. Repeat rolling, buttering and folding two more times to build flaky layers, then wrap and chill 20 minutes.
3. Make the ricotta filling: mix the ricotta, egg, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth.
4. For the pea filling: saute the onion in olive oil until soft, stir in the peas and curry powder, mash roughly with a fork, season, and cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 425F and line baking sheets with parchment.
6. Roll the dough out thin and cut into 4-inch rounds or squares. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each.
7. Fold the dough over the filling into a boat or diamond shape, pinching the seam at the top to seal, leaving the ends slightly open as is traditional.
8. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and flaky. Cool 5 minutes before serving warm.

Recipe Notes

• Pastizzi freeze beautifully unbaked. Freeze them on a tray, then bag them, and bake straight from frozen, adding 5 to 8 extra minutes.
• Pecorino Romano or a sharp Parmesan both work well; use whatever hard sheep’s or cow’s milk cheese you have on hand.
• Serve these the way Maltese cafes do, with strong coffee, alongside our Ftira Maltija (recipe on the site) for a full Maltese spread.
• Do not skip draining the ricotta well, a few hours in a fine sieve, or the filling will make the pastry soggy.