Sfogliatelle (Neapolitan ricotta shell pastries)
Crisp, many-layered pastry shells filled with sweet orange scented semolina and ricotta, a Naples bakery classic you can make at home.
- Time4 hr
- LevelHard
- Costabout £0.81 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the flour, salt and water into a firm dough. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth, then wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
30 min - 2
Make the filling. Heat the milk in a small pan until it steams, then whisk in the semolina and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until thick. Tip into a bowl and cool completely.
3 min - 3
Beat the ricotta and caster sugar until smooth, then mix in the cooled semolina, egg yolk, candied peel, cinnamon and orange zest. Chill until needed.
- 4
Roll the dough as thin as you can, until almost see through, into a long strip about 20 cm wide. Spread it with two thirds of the soft lard, working it right to the edges.
- 5
Roll the strip up tightly into a log, like a Swiss roll. Wrap and chill for 2 hours, then trim the ends and cut the log into 8 slices.
120 min - 6
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Take a slice and press your thumbs into the centre while pushing the layers outwards into a cone shape. Spoon in a generous tablespoon of filling and pinch the edges closed. Repeat with the rest.
- 7
Place on a tray greased with the remaining lard and bake for 25 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Cool a little, then dust with icing sugar. Best eaten the same day.
25 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
