Pasta reale or almond paste, the green pasta reale made with almonds to prepare cassata and many other Sicilian desserts; the economical version of the more characteristic pistachio marzipan.
The Sicilian almond paste has accompanied the cultures of southern Italy for centuries, in areas rich in almond groves. Ancient pastry chefs achieved this delight by skillfully working honey and almonds. Almond-based sweets or those made with almond paste, such as almond paste lamb or the Easter lamb from Favara, accompanied Sicilians during major festivities and were precious and sumptuous treats: the name “pasta reale” literally meant it was fit for a king.
Its origins probably date back to the 1100s AD, when the nuns of the Martorana convent in Palermo created the famous frutta martorana, but to be fair the entire Mediterranean culture uses almonds and honey as a delicacy, since the almond tree is native to these regions. Pasta reale is also a basic ingredient of the famous cassata, Sant’Agata olives, Minnuzze di Sant’Agata or cassatelle and many other traditional sweets, and when colored green like this it substitutes the more expensive pistachio marzipan.
Let’s go to the kitchen to discover how to make green or white pasta reale; you’ll be surprised by its simplicity. Before you start, if you want to keep up with my recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 14 oz (approx. 400 g) of marzipan
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients to make green Sicilian pasta reale
- 1 1/3 cups Almonds (about 7 oz (200 g))
- 1 1/4 cups Powdered sugar (about 5 oz (150 g))
- 1 packet Vanillin powder (or vanilla extract)
- 3 tbsp Water (about 40 ml)
- as needed Powdered sugar (for the work surface)
- Food coloring (if needed)
Tools
- Blender
- Saucepan
How to make Sicilian pasta reale
Soak the almonds in boiling water for about two minutes; it’s important that you blanch the almonds yourself, since pre-blanched almonds are usually too dry and have lost much of their aroma. (If you have any bitter almonds, you can use them!) Let them dry in the sun for a couple of hours or 20 minutes in the oven at 122°F, then let them cool and chop them finely.
Prepare a syrup with the powdered sugar, water and a pinch of coloring, only if you need colored pasta reale: I needed green to make a cassata.
Mix the chopped almonds with the syrup and return to the heat for one minute.
The paste will be ready when it begins to pull away from the saucepan.
Turn it out onto a work surface generously dusted with powdered sugar, wait for it to cool a little and knead it. Don’t worry about the sticky texture; as it cools the paste will firm up and you will be able to work it like modeling clay (if it seems hard or crumbles even when cold, add one or two teaspoons of water and knead).
