Pastizzi

Maltese Pastizzi (Ricotta & Pea)

Flaky, buttery diamonds stuffed with creamy ricotta or savoury mushy peas, baked until golden – the beloved street snack of Malta.

Prep

45 min

Cook

25 min

Total

70 min

Serves

12 pastizzi

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8¾ oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• •200 g (7 oz) cold butter, cut into 1 cm cubes
• •salt, ½
• •100 ml (3½ fl oz) ice-cold water, or as needed
• •250 g (8¾ oz) fresh ricotta, well drained
• •1 large egg yolk, for the ricotta filling
• •salt, ¼, or to taste
• •black pepper, ¼, freshly ground
• •200 g (7 oz) frozen peas, or mushy peas
• •1 small onion, finely chopped
• •1 clove garlic, minced
• •1 tbsp olive oil
• •salt, ¼, or to taste
• •black pepper, ¼
• •1 large egg, beaten for egg wash

Steps

1. 1 Make the pastry: In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces. Add the ice-cold water a little at a time, mixing with a table knife until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface, shape into a rough rectangle, wrap in cling film, and chill for 30 minutes.
2. 2 After chilling, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle (about 30 x 15 cm). Fold the top third down, then the bottom third up (like a business letter). Give the dough a quarter turn, roll out again to the same size, and repeat the folding. Do this 3 more times (4 total folds), wrapping and chilling for 15 minutes between each fold. After the last fold, wrap well and chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
3. 3 While the pastry chills, make the ricotta filling: In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, egg yolk, salt, and pepper until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
4. 4 Make the pea filling: Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté for 3–4 minutes until soft. Add the frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, mash the peas with a fork until a coarse paste forms. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.
5. 5 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) / gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. 6 On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Cut into 12 squares, each about 10 x 10 cm.
7. 7 Working with one square at a time, place a heaped teaspoon of filling (either ricotta or pea) in the centre. Brush the edges with a little water. Fold the pastry over to form a triangle, pressing to seal. Then, to make the diamond shape: bring the two opposite corners (the two points of the triangle's base) together and pinch them firmly – you should have a diamond or 'pastizz' shape. Alternatively, fold the square into a triangle and then press the two bottom corners together to form a small envelope. Place on the baking sheet, seam side down.
8. 8 Repeat with the remaining squares, alternating fillings. Brush each pastizz with the beaten egg.
9. 9 Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown. If using a convection oven, rotate the tray halfway through.
10. 10 Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. These are best eaten warm, but they are also good at room temperature.