Maltese Pastizzi

Flaky pastry which encloses different fillings, the most common being peas, and ricotta cheese.

Pastizzi are served throughout Malta and can be bought from specialist pastizzi shops including the many coffee shops, restaurants and bars in Malta.

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INGREDIENTS

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For the dough:

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• 400 grams sifted flour

• 200 ml water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 60 grams lard at room temperature but not too soft

• 70 grams butter at room temperature but not too soft

• Filling (cheese, peas, peas and corned beef or other fillings you choose)

• Makes approximately 20 to 25 pastizzi

For the cheese filling:

• 500 grams fresh ricotta

• 4 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

• Salt and pepper to season

For the pea and corned beef mixture:

• 1 can mushy peas

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 375 grams corned beef

• 1 onion finely diced

• 1 large tablespoon curry powder

• Salt and Pepper to season

• Olive oil for frying​

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INSTRUCTIONS

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Sift flour. In a mixing bowl add the flour and salt. Slowly start to add water and with a dough mixer start mixing the water, flour and salt. Keep adding the water until you have a dough ball. You may need to turn off the mixer before the dough ball has been created and knead by hand. Knead the ball for about fifteen minutes. The ball should be quite stiff but not too dry. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge overnight or at least six hours. Prepare a table by smearing 30 grams of lard over the surface. Roll out your dough as thinly as possible to create a large piece of flattened dough. Smear dough with 30 grams of butter. Start rolling the dough into a swiss roll shape and stretch the dough as much as possible as you go along.

Once you have finished rolling by hand stretch the 'swiss roll' or 'snake' and roll into a snail shell shape. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Once 1 hour has passed then prepare your table again to do the same procedure again. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge one last time for 2 hours.

During this time prepare your mixture. Preheat oven to 200⁰C.

Take the dough out of the fridge and unravel. Smear with the remaining 10 grams of butter and cut in 3 cm pieces. Take one piece at a time and flatten with your fingers lengthways. Place a small spoonful of mixture onto the dough and close. If making cheese pastizzi fold one piece of dough in the centre and then cover with the remaining piece. Pinch the sides. If making pea pastizzi then fold over one side of the dough over in the shape of a semi circle (or apple turnover) and pinch the rounded sides to close.

Place pastizzi on a baking tray with baking paper.

Reduce oven temperature to 180⁰C and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on all sides.

 

To make the cheese mixture:

Mix ricotta, egg, parsley and grated cheese gently. Season with pepper and salt

To make the pea and corned beef mixture:

Fry onion and garlic in a frying pan for five minutes. Add curry powder and fry for a further minute. Add corned beef and fry for about 5 minutes. Gently mix to warm the peas.