Gluten-free qassatat (ricotta pie)
Qassatat are small pies, about the size of your hand. They are sold in street-side shops, freshly baked alongside ricotta or piżelli (peas) pastizzi. Always baked fresh onsite, always served hot. A perfect breakfast with a coffee, or as a snack during the day. When I was a kid, my dad would make ricotta pie (Torta ta’ l-Irkotta). This is a family-sized version. I always found the ratio of ricotta to pastry in the large pie out of balance. Too much of the creamy filling and not enough crunch from the pastry. It wasn’t until my first visit to Malta in 1990 that I discovered qassatat. These are the right balance of creaminess to crunch. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to attend Shane Delia’s Malta cooking demonstration and feast. He made a version of qassatat with fig, ricotta and almond. Everyone around me said they were fantastic. Sadly, I couldn’t try them as they were not gluten free, but they smelt amazing! I recommend checking out his TV series on Malta if you can. Sicili...
