Pistiddu

Name: Pistiddu
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Sarda
Ingredients: 300 g fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata); 50 g lard (strutto); 130 ml Water; 250 ml sapa (saba / cooked grape must reduction); 50 g fine durum wheat semolina for filling; 1 tbsp orange zest; 1 tsp lemon zest; 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon

Pistiddu is an ornate Sardinian filled pastry tart from eastern Sardinia, stuffed with spiced sapa (cooked grape must reduction) or honey and orange zest.

🇮🇹Italy· Sardinia

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 70 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 380 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata) — sifted
50 g lard (strutto) — softened at room temperature
130 ml Water — lukewarm with a pinch of fine salt
250 ml sapa (saba / cooked grape must reduction) — or dense dark honey
50 g fine durum wheat semolina for filling — for thickening the filling
1 tbsp orange zest — finely grated untreated orange peel
1 tsp lemon zest — finely grated untreated lemon peel
½ tsp Ground cinnamon — ground

Equipment

•Heavy-bottom saucepan
•Rolling pin
•Pastry wheel
•Baking sheet
•Parchment paper

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 380 kcal
fat: 8 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 7 g
calories: 380 kcal

Instructions

1
Pour the sapa into a small heavy saucepan and warm it gently over medium-low heat.
2
Whisk the 50g of semolina slowly into the sapa to prevent any lumps from forming.
3
Cook the mixture while stirring continuously until it thickens into a glossy, spreadable paste.
4
Stir the orange zest, lemon zest, and ground cinnamon into the filling, then leave to cool completely.
5
Knead the 300g semolina, softened lard, and salted lukewarm water together until a smooth, pliable dough forms.
6
Wrap the dough in a clean cloth and rest it at room temperature for 30 minutes.
7
Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll each on a floured surface to 2 mm thickness.
8
Cut both dough sheets into matching round discs about 22 cm in diameter.
9
Spread the cooled sapa filling evenly over the bottom disc, leaving a 1.5 cm clear border.
10
Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, carve decorative geometric cuts and incisions across the top disc.
11
Lay the decorated dough over the filling, crimp the edges firmly to seal, and transfer to a lined baking sheet.
12
Bake at 160 degrees C for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is pale cream and firm without browning.

Chef's tips

The pastry (pasta violada) must remain pale ivory after baking; do not let it turn golden brown. Let the filling cool entirely before assembling, otherwise the steam will soften the pastry decorations.

Ingredient substitutions

sapa (saba) → dark wildflower honey or carob molasses, adjusted to taste
lard (strutto) → unsalted butter at room temperature

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Reheating

Enjoy at room temperature; do not reheat in an oven or microwave.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overbaking the pastry until it browns, which alters the traditional pale look and makes the crust brittle.
•Adding semolina to boiling sapa too quickly, creating dry lumps in the filling.
•Failing to seal the edges well, causing the syrupy filling to leak onto the tray during baking.