Barbagiuai
Crisp, golden-fried Ligurian pastry parcels filled with sweet pumpkin, tender rice, cheese, and fresh marjoram.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Rolling pin
- •Deep frying pan
- •Fluted pastry cutter
- •Mixing bowl
- •Slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 58 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 14 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Knead the flour, olive oil, warm water, and half the salt into a smooth, elastic dough.
- 2
Cover the dough with a cloth and rest for thirty minutes at room temperature.
- 3
Steam the diced pumpkin until very tender, then drain thoroughly in a sieve.
- 4
Mash the warm pumpkin with a fork until mostly smooth.
- 5
Mix the mashed pumpkin, cooked rice, ricotta, Parmigiano, beaten egg, and chopped marjoram in a bowl.
- 6
Season the filling with the remaining salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 7
Roll out the rested dough on a lightly floured board to two millimetres thick.
- 8
Place heaped tablespoons of filling along one side of the dough sheet.
- 9
Fold the pastry over the filling and press firmly to expel trapped air.
- 10
Cut into individual rectangular parcels using a fluted pastry wheel.
- 11
Heat the frying oil in a pan until hot and shimmering at 175°C.
- 12
Fry the pasties in small batches for three minutes until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper.
Chef's tips
Drain the steamed pumpkin thoroughly before mashing so the filling remains thick and does not make the dough soggy. Press the dough firmly around each mound of filling before cutting to ensure no steam escapes during frying.
Ingredient substitutions
- ricotta → prescinseua (Ligurian curd cheese) or mild fresh goat's curd
- pumpkin flesh → butternut squash or trombetta di Albenga squash
Storage
Store leftover fried pasties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 180°C for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Leaving excess water in the pumpkin, which makes the filling runny and causes pasties to burst in hot oil.
- •Frying at too low a temperature, which makes the pastry greasy instead of blistered and crisp.
- •Overfilling the pastry rectangles, preventing a secure edge seal.
Serving suggestions
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