Maltese

Ricotta Pastizzi

Name: Ricotta Pastizzi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Maltese
Ingredients: 200 g whole milk ricotta cheese, well drained; 1 large egg; salt and black pepper, to taste; 6 sheets phyllo pastry, or ready-rolled puff pastry; 50 g unsalted butter, melted

Crisp, flaky Maltese pastries filled with creamy ricotta. A quick, easy version made with shop-bought phyllo or puff pastry.

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 195 per serving

Pastizzi are a much-loved Maltese snack of crisp, flaky pastry wrapped around a creamy filling. This quick version uses shop-bought phyllo or ready-rolled puff pastry and a simple ricotta and egg filling.

Ingredients

Serves 6. Tap to tick off as you go.

200 g whole milk ricotta cheese, well drained
1 large egg
salt and black pepper, to taste
6 sheets phyllo pastry, or ready-rolled puff pastry
50 g unsalted butter, melted

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Make the filling: in a small bowl, combine the ricotta and egg, then season with salt and black pepper. Mix until smooth.
Keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp tea towel so they do not dry out. Lay one sheet down, brush liberally with melted butter and top with another sheet. Repeat until all 6 sheets are layered, without brushing butter on the very top sheet.
Use a 10cm round pastry cutter to punch out circles from the stacked dough.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture in the centre of each circle. Fold the circle in half over the filling into a half-moon or diamond shape and pinch the ends tightly to seal. Flatten the bottom slightly so it sits flat on the tray.
Transfer the pastizzi to the prepared baking sheet, brush the tops with any remaining melted butter and bake for 10–12 minutes (or 20–25 minutes if using thick puff pastry) until deeply golden brown and crisp.
12 mins
Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving warm.
5 mins

Serving suggestions

Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm as an appetiser. Each pasticcio is a single pastry, so allow one or two per person.

Cook’s tips

Keep the phyllo covered with a damp tea towel while you work so it does not dry out. Drain the ricotta well so the filling is not wet. Do not brush butter on the top sheet of phyllo before cutting. If using thick puff pastry instead, bake for 20–25 minutes.