Pasticciotto facts for kids
Ricotta-filled pasticciotto
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| Alternative names | Pusties |
|---|---|
| Type | Pastry |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Apulia |
| Created by | Andrea Ascalone |
| Serving temperature | warm |
| Variations | Various fillings |
A pasticciotto is a yummy Italian pastry with a delicious filling. It's like a small, sweet pie! These pastries are usually filled with either creamy ricotta cheese or a smooth egg custard. It depends on where in Italy you find them. Some Italian-American communities call them pusties.
Pasticciotti are about 2.5 centimeters thick. People often eat them for breakfast, but they are also a great snack any time of day. They are a very traditional treat in a region of Italy called Apulia. Many people say that pasticciotti taste best when they are eaten warm.
Contents
What is a Pasticciotto Made Of?
Pasticciotti have two main parts: the crust and the filling. Both are super important for making this tasty pastry!
The Crispy Crust
The crust of a pasticciotto is made from a special kind of dough called short-crust pastry. Long ago, people used lard to make the dough rich and flaky. Today, many recipes use butter instead. While butter works, it can change how the crust feels when you eat it. Before baking, the top of each pasticciotto often gets a brush of egg wash. This makes the crust shiny and golden brown!
Delicious Fillings
The most common fillings for pasticciotti are lemon-flavored custard or ricotta cheese. But there are many other yummy choices too! You might find fillings like almond, chocolate, pistachio, or vanilla custard. Some have fruit preserves, or even chocolate-hazelnut spreads like gianduja or Nutella.
In a town in Sicily called Patti, there's a unique pasticciotto called pasticciotti di carne. This one has a filling of ground veal and almonds, but it's topped with sugar! It's a bit like a Moroccan pastry called pastilla, which also mixes meat with a sweet topping.
In Italy, the custard-filled pasticciotti are most popular in Apulia, especially in the province of Lecce. The city of Lecce even named the pasticciotto its special cake! Ricotta fillings are more common in Sicily. In Naples, which is between Apulia and Sicily, custard fillings are popular, but their pasticciotto napoletano also includes cherries. You can find both custard and ricotta fillings in the United States too.
The Story of the Pasticciotto
The pasticciotto is thought to have been invented by a chef named Andrea Ascalone. He lived in a town called Galatina in Lecce. In 1745, he had some ingredients left over from making bigger cakes called tortas. So, he decided to use them to create a smaller, new cake.
The story goes that the name "pasticciotto" came from Ascalone himself. He supposedly called his new creation a pasticcio, which means "mishap" or "mess" in Italian. But it turned out to be a delicious "mishap"! However, some newer studies suggest that the Ascalone family didn't live in Galatina until 1787. So, the exact story of its invention is still a bit of a mystery!
Where to Find Pasticciotti
If you visit southern Apulia in Italy, you'll find pasticciotti everywhere! They are sold in bakeries, coffee shops, and even restaurants. You can also find them in Italian-American bakeries in the United States. They are often sold alongside other famous Italian pastries like cannoli and sfogliatelle.
Images for kids
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Pasticciotti filled with custard
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Pasticciotti di carne (meat pasticciotti)
