| Pasticciotto | |
| Country: | Italy |
| Region: | Apulia |
| Creator: | Andrea Ascalone |
| Type: | Pastry |
| Served: | Warm |
| Variations: | Various fillings |
A pasticciotto (pronounced as /it/; : Italian: pasticciotti) is a type of filled Italian pastry. Depending on the region, they are traditionally filled with either ricotta cheese or egg custard.
Pasticciotti are approximately 1inches thick. They are typically served as a breakfast item, but may also be eaten throughout the day,[1] and are a traditional pastry in Apulia. According to a number of sources, pasticciotti should be eaten warm.
The short-crust pastry dough used to make pasticciotti was originally shortened with lard, but modern recipes may use butter instead, although this alters the texture of the crust.[2] An egg wash is often applied to the top of each pastry before baking.
Fillings for pasticciotti include the traditional lemon-flavored custard or ricotta,[3] and variant fillings such as almond, chocolate, pistachio or vanilla custard, fruit preserves, gianduja or Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spreads. An unusual variation filled with ground veal and almonds but topped with sugar, pasticciotti di carne, is a local favorite in the Sicilian comune (municipality) of Patti.[4] Pasticciotti di carne are similar to the Moroccan pastilla which also combines a meat filling with a sugar topping. In Italy, custard-filled pasticciotti are the typical variety in Apulia,[5] particularly in the province of Lecce, where the city of Lecce named the pasticciotto its typical cake.[6] [7] The ricotta filling is more commonly seen in Sicily. In Naples, in southwestern Italy between Apulia and Sicily, custard fillings are common but the pasticciotto napoletano also includes cherries.[8] Both custard and ricotta fillings can be found in the United States.[9]
The invention of pasticciotti is credited to Andrea Ascalone, a chef in the comune of Galatina, near Lecce, who in 1745 used ingredients left over from full-sized tortas to create a smaller cake. The name pasticciotto allegedly comes from Ascalone himself regarding his creation as a pasticcio, or "mishap".However, recent studies demonstrate that the Ascalone family was not present in Galatina before 1787.[10]
In southern Apulia, pasticciotti are sold in bakeries, bars, coffee shops and restaurants. They are also commonly available at Italian-American bakeries in the United States, alongside other Italian pastries such as cannoli and sfogliatelle.[11]