Pastizzi are Malta’s national snack: flaky, diamond-shaped pastries stuffed with ricotta or mushy peas, sold hot from pastizzerias all over the islands and eaten standing up.
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. They freeze exceptionally well unbaked, so a double batch makes sense. Serve them alongside our Ftira Maltija (recipe on the site) for a proper Maltese spread.
Pastizzi Recipe
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Make the ricotta filling: mix the ricotta, egg, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth.
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll the dough out thin and cut into 4-inch rounds or squares. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each.
- 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.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and flaky. Cool 5 minutes before serving warm.
Enjoy our recipes? Add Maria’s Cookbook as a preferred source on Google to see more of our content in your search results.
