Cagliari puff pastry mini pizzas are an irresistible treat, super easy to make at home with just a few ingredients that we often already have in the pantry. If you’re from Cagliari, or have visited here on vacation, you’ve likely strolled with a puff pastry mini pizza through the downtown streets or along the Poetto waterfront. Here’s how to make them at home in just a few minutes: they are incredibly easy to prepare! Perfect for an impromptu dinner or a tasty snack, these mini pizzas are so quick to make that they’re ideal even for those with little time but who don’t want to sacrifice flavor. In this case, let’s see how to make one of my favorite versions: with mozzarella. But alternatively, you can omit it altogether and add a caper, staying truer to the classic Cagliari mini pizza. They also resemble rustici leccesi, although there are substantial differences: rustici have a third puff pastry disc, making them taller and flakier, and the filling includes, besides the sauce, béchamel and mozzarella, which in this case is not optional.
I cooked the puff pastry mini pizzas in the air fryer for an even quicker and lighter version, perfect when you want to prepare just a few portions at a time. If you want to make them in large quantities, you can comfortably bake them in the oven, increasing the temperature and cooking times. Also, if you don’t want to eat them all right away, you can freeze them to have them ready for a special occasion or a last-minute snack. You’ll find all the details below.
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CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES WITH PUFF PASTRY:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 pieces
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 rolls rectangular puff pastry
- 2.8 oz mozzarella (classic or for pizza)
- 5.3 oz tomato sauce
- 1 egg
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste milk
Tools
- Air Fryer
Steps
Prepare the tomato sauce: in a small bowl, pour the tomato sauce, add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then mix well to combine all the ingredients. Pat a mozzarella dry thoroughly (if you prefer, you can also use the one for pizza which is already well-dried as I did) and cut it into small cubes. Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer to 356°F for about 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, separate the yolk from the egg white. In a bowl, mix the yolk with a splash of milk, and set it aside for later. In another bowl, place the egg white.
Take a package of puff pastry (leaving it on its parchment paper) and, using a pastry cutter or a cup with a diameter of about 4-5 inches, cut out 6 discs. On each disc, spread a teaspoon of tomato sauce and a few cubes of mozzarella. Meanwhile, cut out another 6 discs from the second roll of puff pastry.
*for the classic version: do not add the mozzarella and place one or two capers in the center.Dampen the edges with egg white, so they become sticky, and cover the mini pizzas with another puff pastry disc cut from a second package. To give the characteristic appearance of the mini pizzas, use a smaller pastry cutter (3-4 inches) to make an indentation in the center of each pizza. Seal the edges with your fingers and brush the surface with the egg yolk mixed with a splash of milk.
At this point, cut the parchment paper around each mini pizza, obtaining squares. This way, it will be very easy to transfer the mini pizzas to the air fryer basket without deforming them.
Place the mini pizzas in the basket of the preheated air fryer and cook them at 356°F for about 13-15 minutes. When there are 5 minutes left, turn them gently. Always check the cooking, because depending on the fryer, they may already be golden and crispy after just 10 minutes.
If you prefer to cook them in the oven, preheat the oven to 374°F and bake the mini pizzas for about 25 minutes.
Once ready, let them cool for a few minutes.
Here are your Cagliari puff pastry mini pizzas: crispy on the outside and soft and stringy inside. Enjoy your meal!
Tips for you
✔ Note: this version with mozzarella is not the original; the traditional version includes only the sauce and possibly a caper, so I want to specify that this is only a variant (which can still be found in various bars in the city of Cagliari).
✔ Cagliari puff pastry mini pizzas can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
✔ The next day you can reheat them for just 2 minutes in the air fryer or 5 minutes in the oven (so they will be warm but crispy), or a few seconds in the microwave (although they tend to be softer compared to the oven or air fryer reheating method).
✔ I recommend not removing them from the parchment paper provided with the puff pastry, and directly cutting the parchment paper around each mini pizza, so it will be easier to transfer them to the basket and there is no risk of them opening or breaking.
✔ For this recipe, I used the COSORI TURBO BLAZE 6-liter air fryer: you can find it on Amazon by clicking here.
Don’t miss the latest recipe for 👉 air fryer ‘non-fried’ donuts: super soft, irresistibly fragrant! I’ll explain all the tricks to make perfect donuts!
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