Pardulas
Saffron and citrus sheep's ricotta tartlets encased in a crisp, pinched semolina pastry, also known in northern Sardinia as formaggelle.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking sheet
- •Parchment paper
- •Rolling pin
- •Fine sieve
- •Round fluted pastry cutter
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 14 g
- carbs
- 42 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 11 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Drain the sheep's ricotta in a sieve lined with cheesecloth overnight in the fridge until completely dry.
- 2
Knead the fine durum semolina, lard, salt, and warm water into a smooth, elastic dough.
- 3
Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and rest it at room temperature for thirty minutes.
- 4
Pass the dry ricotta through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any graininess.
- 5
Stir the caster sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, lemon zest, saffron liquid, and semolina into the sieved ricotta.
- 6
Roll the rested dough out thinly on a lightly floured surface to two millimetres thickness.
- 7
Cut out rounds using an eight-centimetre fluted or plain pastry cutter.
- 8
Place a generous tablespoon of the golden saffron ricotta mixture into the centre of each pastry round.
- 9
Pinch the pastry edges together in five or six places around the filling to create star-shaped cases.
- 10
Arrange the pinched pardulas onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
- 11
Bake at 170°C for thirty minutes until the pastry is pale cream and the ricotta domes are golden.
- 12
Cool the pastries completely on a wire rack, then dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.
Chef's tips
Draining the sheep's ricotta thoroughly overnight is critical so the filling stays mounded rather than spreading during baking. Use pure sheep's milk ricotta for the authentic rich flavour and firm texture. Work quickly when pinching the pastry cases so the thin dough does not dry out and crack.
Ingredient substitutions
- sheep's milk ricotta → cow's milk ricotta drained for twenty-four hours, though it will taste milder
- lard → unsalted butter at room temperature
Storage
Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Bring to room temperature for twenty minutes before eating, or warm briefly in a 150°C oven for five minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using wet, undrained ricotta which makes the filling collapse and soaks the delicate pastry base.
- •Rolling the semolina dough too thickly, preventing the pinched borders from baking crisp.
- •Baking at excessive heat, causing the ricotta domes to crack deeply before cooking through.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Pardulas?
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