Cassatelle

Cassatelle di Ricotta (Sicilian Stuffed Pastries)

Cassatelle are crisp, half-moon Sicilian pastries enclosing a sweet ricotta filling scented with lemon and a splash of Marsala. They are traditionally fried until golden and dusted with powdered sugar, the classic way they are served across Sicily.

Prep

30 min

Cook

15 min

Total

45 min

Serves

Makes about 16 cassatelle (8 servings)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8.8 oz) 00 flour, plus extra for dusting; substitute with all-purpose
• •50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• •1 whole large egg
• •30 ml (2 Tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• •60 ml (¼ cup) dry Marsala wine, traditional; substitute with dry white wine
• •1 pinch fine sea salt
• •60 ml (¼ cup) water, plus more as needed
• •350 g (12.3 oz) fresh sheep's milk ricotta, drained; cow's milk ricotta is an acceptable substitute
• •100 g (½ cup) caster sugar, for the filling
• •1 whole lemon (zest only), untreated/unsprayed
• •40 ml (2½ Tbsp) dry Marsala wine, for the filling; substitute with dry white wine
• •60 g (½ cup) dark chocolate chips, optional, traditional in some Sicilian versions
• •500 ml (2 cups) seed oil for frying, sunflower or peanut, in a deep pot
• •30 g (¼ cup) powdered sugar, for dusting

Steps

1. 1 Drain the ricotta: place it in a fine sieve over a bowl, weight it lightly, and let it drain in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight) until thick. Discard the whey.
2. 2 Make the dough: mound the flour on a clean surface or in a bowl and make a well. Add the sugar, egg, olive oil, Marsala, salt, and water. Mix with a fork then knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a few drops more water if the dough feels dry. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. 3 Make the filling: in a bowl, beat the drained ricotta with the caster sugar, lemon zest, and Marsala until smooth and creamy. Fold in the chocolate chips if using. Cover and refrigerate while you roll the dough.
4. 4 Roll the dough very thin (about 2 mm / ⅛ inch) on a lightly floured surface. Using a round cutter or the rim of a glass (about 10 cm / 4 inches), cut out circles.
5. 5 Place a heaped tablespoon of filling (about 25 g) in the center of each circle, leaving a 1 cm / ½-inch border. Fold into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal, then crimp with the tines of a fork to lock in the filling.
6. 6 Heat the oil in a deep pot to 170–175 °C / 340–350 °F (a small cube of bread should turn golden in about 60 seconds). Fry the cassatelle in small batches, 2–3 at a time, for about 2–3 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and puffed. Maintain oil temperature between batches.
7. 7 Drain on paper towels. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve warm. Traditional safety note: fry only until the pastry is uniformly golden and the ricotta filling has been heated through to 74 °C / 165 °F internally (2–3 minutes of frying achieves this); do not undercook.