Appetizer Recipes, Exotic World Recipes
If you’re looking for a deliciously new pastry to sink your teeth into, look no further than this tasty Maltese pastizzi recipe.
This traditional treat is made of a flaky crust filled with either ricotta or minced meat, and it’s absolutely irresistible. Luckily, you can easily make the Maltese pastizzi recipe at home. So go ahead and give them a try – I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Where is Malta and the History of Malta
The country of Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea that lies southeast of Sicily. The three largest islands – Gozo, Kemmuna, and Present Day Valletta were inhabited at one point but now only two remain due to massive withdrawals over time which has caused large-scale damage done by erosion or rising sea levels associated with climate change etcetera.
The Maltese islands are an architectural wonder, with their ancient standing buildings dating back to the Neolithic era. Strategically located in between Europe and Africa along one of the most postage-trained sea routes ever seen by man.
Malta’s position has meant that it had many different cultures come through here over time: Phoenicians & Greeks before Julius Caesar chased them away; Romans who left behind large chunks (such as Malta itself)of architecture still intact today; Arabic architects who infused Islamic designs into Christian structures brought by the Normans and the Crusaders.
All about Traditional Maltese food
Maltese cuisine is a mix of influences, ranging from Sicilian and English to Spanish French, and Maghrebin. The food itself has an Italian influence with its roots in southern Europe – primarily influenced by the south Mediterranean climate- but there are also strong showcases for France (through language), Spain & Provence.
It is quite modest based mostly on fish or vegetables, with some pork products like the Maltese sausage – made of salted and spicy minced pork, coriander seeds, garlic, and parsley – which can be eaten raw, dried, or roasted. Wonderful sweets are abundant in this diet style.
Maltese celebrations are known for their rich, meaty stewed or fried dishes. One such dish that falls into this category is fenkata- a celebration of rabbit with wine and bay leaves marinated overnight before being cooked in sauce over pasta for dinner on occasion!
How to make the Maltese Pastizzi Recipe
Pastizzi are a Maltese savory pastry that is popular throughout the country. The dough is typically filled with ricotta cheese, which can be flavored with herbs or spices like black pepper, and then baked until golden brown. I adapted the pastizzi recipe from Nunna’s Kitchen.
In this Maltese Pastizzi recipe, I will show you how to make your own pastizzi using homemade dough. Let me tell you, making savory pastries known as pastizzi can be a challenge if you use homemade puff pastry. I could have taken the easy way out and used prepared filo or puff pastry, but I gave it a shot to make my own.
Puff pastry is my Waterloo in the kitchen. I have tried twice in the past to make puff pastry, both times were failures. I have to say this new method was a bit more successful but the results were not light and flaky as I would have wished. Still, these little treats make a great snack or appetizer, and they can be enjoyed at any time of year.
Have you got a recipe that is consistently a challenge for you to make?
Maltese pastizzi recipe
If you’re looking for a deliciously new pastry to sink your teeth into, look no further than this Maltese pastizzi recipe.
Print RecipePin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Rest 5 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Snack
Cuisine Maltese
Servings 12 pastries
Calories 335 kcal
Ingredients
- 500 grams of flour
- 1 tsp of salt
- 180 grams of softened butter
- Chilled Water
- 300 grams of Ricotta
- 3 Eggs
- Handful of chopped parsley
- Generous amount of salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Sift flour and salt together in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add small amounts of the chilled water and mix until the dough is soft but not sticky. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead until it all comes together consistently.
Lightly oil your surface and roll out your dough as thin as possible . You also want to roll it out long as you can and not too wide. Smear the softened butter evenly over the dough.
Starting from the end closest to you, stretch and roll the dough upwards. Continue to stretch and roll the dough. If the dough gets long and thin at the sides, just fold it into the middle and keep rolling. This will just end up creating more layers in the pastry. Once you have finished rolling it, place it on a plate, cover it with glad wrap and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours.
Mash all the filling ingredients together until really well mixed. After 24 hours, place dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into thick slices about 2 cm wide. Stretch the outer edges of each section until you have an oval shape. Try not to press down on the dough as it inhibits it becoming flaky.
Place dough in the palm of your hand and fill with your chosen filling. Stretch the sides out. Press sides together all the way around. Pinch the ends flat and gently push inwards to shape the Pastizzi. Bake on a baking paper lined tray at 220 until golden brown for about 20 minutes. Rest 5 min
Check out all the wonderful Maltese dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
Sneha’s Recipe: Laham Fuq il-Fwar – Maltese Steamed Beef
Pandemonium Noshery: Soppa tal Armla (Widows Stew)
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Stuffat Tal-Qarnita (Octopus Stew)
Palatable Pastime: Slow-Cooker Maltese Rabbit Stew (Stuffat Tal-Fenek)
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Fenkata
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Brodu Tat-Tigiega (Maltese Chicken Soup)
Kitchen Frau: Baked Rice
Cultureatz: Maltese Pastizzi Pastry
Violet on February 22, 2023 at 10:27
Try to let the dough rest for about six hours AFTER you have worked it into a ball…cover it with the same fat you’re using no need to put it in the fridge unless temperature is hot…if you don’t do this step you will never be able to stretch the dough…I Don’t use butter but I use shortening which gives it the flakiness.
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John / Kitchen Riffs on September 28, 2022 at 10:54
Just want to say we’ve just posted our last blog post. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your blog, and I’ll still be visiting. But we’ve got a lot of activities lined up that will be occupying my time, so my visits will be much more sporadic in the future. Best wishes to you.
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Evelyne on September 28, 2022 at 13:57
What surprising and sad news! Thank you for taking the time and let me know. Best wishes in your new adventures. Tank you for your support all these years.
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Liz on August 16, 2022 at 07:29
Oh, boy, I love the sound of these!! Homemade puff pastry is a work of love—and these look worth the effort!
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Evelyne on August 16, 2022 at 12:34
I bet your puff pastry turns out perfect every time.
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Margaret@Kitchen Frau on August 12, 2022 at 14:11
It sure looks to me that your dough was a success – the pastries look amazing! I’m very tempted to try them. I wanna bite into one right now!
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Evelyne on August 13, 2022 at 10:55
Why thank you Margaret and I strongly encourage you to try the recipe!
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Wendy Klik on August 10, 2022 at 16:58
These pastries are just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing and thanks for hosting.
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Evelyne on August 10, 2022 at 17:06
Thank you Wendy and it’s always my pleasure
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Sue on August 10, 2022 at 11:26
These look familiar so I must have tried some somewhere. I love the idea of the ricotta.
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Evelyne on August 10, 2022 at 11:51
You’ll have to make them Sue to see if it is the same as your memory 🙂
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John / Kitchen Riffs on August 10, 2022 at 10:41
These look great! Gorgeous looking, and gorgeous tasting, too, I’m sure. Thanks!
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Evelyne on August 10, 2022 at 11:51
Thank you John, they are a must to try.
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Carmen Muscat on November 19, 2018 at 14:25
My family makes wonderfully delicious pastizzis. I know that they put two different types of (examples – butter, shortening or oil). One used in the flour mixture and one put on the dough after it is rolled/stretched out. This is what makes it into a layered, flacky crust. They always add a decent amount of grated Parmesan cheese to the cheese/meat filling. Hope this helps. You’re photos look good.
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Evelyne on November 20, 2018 at 10:55
Hi Carmen oh they sound delicious and thanks for the great tips! Flacky is always a good thing.
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mjskitchen on May 19, 2015 at 21:37
I’ve never had a pastizzi so I wouldn’t know if they were the real thing or not, but I do know that these look absolutely scrumptious. Love that ricotta filling!
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Sneha datar on May 15, 2015 at 01:04
Well done, beautifully made pastizzi a real treat.
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Amira on May 14, 2015 at 08:35
I wanted to try this recipe too.. seems so delicious.
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neela manogar on May 14, 2015 at 01:21
These are so pretty.I love it.
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neela manogar on May 14, 2015 at 00:50
Looks great. Nice presentation with fabulous clicks.
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Sugar et al. on May 13, 2015 at 23:43
Wow! Pastry and a ricotta filling…sounds perfect to me! I love deep fried food so initially I thought they were deep fried. Now I can’t wait to give them a try since they will be healthier.
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Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on May 12, 2015 at 23:05
I must admit that I don’t know much about Maltese food apart from pastizzis but I’d love to learn more! Thanks for the recipe Eve 😀
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Karyn on May 12, 2015 at 19:09
Oh they look wonderful! Very nice job and I was serious when I said that we will make puff pastry together!
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The Duo Dishes on May 12, 2015 at 17:22
Very impressed that you made your own puff pastry! That’s a feat right there. And thanks for sharing this because, no doubt, this is information to so many. It’s great how so many cultures are influenced by others around them.
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Juliana on May 12, 2015 at 14:18
Oh Evelyne, these little savory pastizzi look delicious…another awesome recipe…
Have a great week 🙂Reply
Noor on May 12, 2015 at 11:50
Oh wow these look amazing and I love everything I learned about Malta from your post.
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K / House of KTS on May 12, 2015 at 09:37
I will admit, I’m not a huge bread person… I know I know lol. But this looks absolutely divine. I mean wow. You have outdone yourself ;).
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Katerina on May 12, 2015 at 02:48
I’ve never heard of this dish before! They look totally delicious and perfect for a snack or light dinner!
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Dedy@Dentist Chef on May 12, 2015 at 00:16
never had this Malta dish before, tempting to try…
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Carrie on May 11, 2015 at 13:13
These look delicious! Good job making your own dough, I wasn’t brave enough to attempt it yet. Very impressive!
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Umm Hamza on May 11, 2015 at 02:40
I’m impressed you made your own puff pastry, your pastizzi look delicious!
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Joanne T Ferguson on May 10, 2015 at 21:42
Bonjour Evelyne and these look absolutely delicious!
I am glad we connected through food and congrats on completing this month’s MENA challenge too!Reply
Angie@Angie's Recipes on May 10, 2015 at 13:56
Real pastizzi or not…they look droolworthy!
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madiha on May 10, 2015 at 13:55
oh wow how i wish my “Pastizzi”would look like these ,yours look really amazing!!!
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