Cassatelle di Ricotta
Fried sweet ravioli with sheep’s ricotta and Marsala pastry
Sicilian cassatelle with thin Marsala-and-lard pastry enclosing sweet sheep’s ricotta, fried until lightly golden.
Plus 1 hr for resting pastry; ricotta should already be drained; included in the total time below.
Sicily
The regional version.
Fried Sicilian ricotta cassatelle with lemon zest and egg-enriched Marsala pastry.
- Thin Marsala pastry is folded into sweet half-moons.
- Drained sheep’s ricotta fills the fried cassatelle.
- This lemon-scented version differs from baked cocoa-filled cassatelle di Agira.
Technique: fried sweet ravioli with sheep’s ricotta and Marsala pastry
Do not overfill: a small amount of ricotta is easier to seal securely. Keep cream away from the edges, as wet filling prevents a clean seal.
The recipe
Cassatelle di Ricotta
Includes 1 hr for resting pastry; ricotta should already be drained.
Ingredients
Pastry
Filling
Finish
Frying
Method
- 1
Use well-drained ricotta. Knead flour, eggs, sugar, lard and salt, adding Marsala to form a smooth, firm dough.
- 2
Wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Sieve ricotta and stir in filling sugar and lemon zest; keep chilled.
- 3
Roll pastry to about 1–2 mm and cut 9 cm circles. Put a teaspoonful of ricotta just off-centre on each.
- 4
Brush edges sparingly with egg white, fold into half-moons and press out trapped air before sealing firmly.
- 5
Fry a few at a time at about 160–165°C until lightly golden and the pastry is cooked, turning carefully.
- 6
Drain on kitchen paper and dust with icing sugar. Allow the filling to cool slightly before eating.
The version on this page
Fried Sicilian ricotta cassatelle with lemon zest and egg-enriched Marsala pastry.
- Thin Marsala pastry is folded into sweet half-moons.
- Drained sheep’s ricotta fills the fried cassatelle.
- This lemon-scented version differs from baked cocoa-filled cassatelle di Agira.
Cooking it well
Do not overfill: a small amount of ricotta is easier to seal securely. Keep cream away from the edges, as wet filling prevents a clean seal.
Serving and planning
Serve warm or cooled on the day of frying. Chocolate chips can replace lemon zest as a documented filling variation.
Allow 60 additional minutes for resting pastry; ricotta should already be drained. This is included in the total recipe time, alongside active preparation and cooking.
Explore the Sicilian cooking guide for related dishes and pantry notes.
Storage
Refrigerate filled cassatelle promptly and use within 2 days; the pastry loses crispness.
Freezing
Freeze unfilled dough rather than finished fried cassatelle for the best texture.
Reheating
Serve cooled or warm briefly in a moderate oven; avoid microwaving if you want to retain some crispness.
Keep cooking
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