Pardulas, one of the Sardinian Desserts that I absolutely love the most, both for their taste and their unmistakable shape! In fact, pardulas are similar to sunflowers with their beautiful golden and fragrant center, a truly exquisite ricotta-based sweet!
Pardulas, more common in the areas of Sulcis, Ogliastrino, and Campidano of Cagliari, differ from similar casadinas by their filling: pardulas are filled with more delicate ricotta, while casadinas are filled with fresh cheese.
These not-so-sweet sweets are typical of the Easter period, in fact, they are usually prepared for the EASTER LUNCH and those left over are then taken to the Easter Monday picnic.
I am fond of these sweets as I am of other Sardinian recipes: the MALLOREDDUS served ALLA CAMPIDANESE or the CULURGIONES and the SPIZZULUS.
If you want to try them yourself, try the recipe below and also read other Sardinian recipes from my friend Michela.
You can always find my recipes on my Facebook page HERE, or on my Instagram page HERE.
If you liked this recipe, you might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 16 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Easter
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsps lard (or butter)
- 1 pinch salt
- 14 oz sheep ricotta
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 lemon (zest)
- 1 orange (zest)
- 1 packet saffron
- sprinkles (small balls)
Preparation
Put the flour in a bowl along with a pinch of salt and water.
Mix with a fork then transfer the mixture onto the work surface and start kneading with your hands.
Add the lard, or butter, and knead vigorously for a few minutes to get a smooth dough.
Let the dough rest for half an hour under the bowl.
Put the drained sheep ricotta, which has been dried overnight in the fridge, in a bowl.
Add the egg yolk, sugar, and flour.
Also add the packet of saffron and the grated zest of a lemon and an orange.
Mix everything with a spatula or whisk to get a smooth and lump-free cream.
Take the resting dough and divide it into several pieces.
Roll out the dough very thin, using a pasta machine or a rolling pin.
Cut out circles from the dough using a pastry cutter or a glass.
Place a tablespoon of filling on each circle of dough for the pardulas.
At this point, pinch the edges of the dough to create points.
Proceed in the same way with all the pardulas.
Place all the prepared pardulas on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the surface of each treat with colored sprinkles in the shape of small balls.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, until the surface is well golden.
Remove the pardulas from the oven, let them cool, and serve accompanied by honey or simply as they are.
Storage
Pardulas can be stored at room temperature, under a glass cake dome, for 5 days.
