Marche (widespread)
Sweet-savoury fried pastry half-moons from Marche, traditionally made at Easter. A short egg-and-lard pastry encases a filling of fresh pecorino (or ricotta), eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and sometimes saffron or cinnamon. Fried golden in lard or olive oil. The salt-forward pastry against the lightly sweet cheese filling is characteristic of central Italian pastry that straddles savoury and sweet.
Crisp, slightly savoury shell giving way to warm, lightly sweet melting cheese — the Easter pastry of Marche, designed to use the season's fresh pecorino
{"Pastry made with egg, lard, white wine, and a pinch of salt — should be pliable but not sticky","Filling: fresh young pecorino grated fine, whole eggs, sugar at 20% of cheese weight, lemon zest","Seal edges firmly with fork tines — the filling expands and will burst if poorly sealed","Fry at 170°C in lard for authentic flavour, or olive oil for a lighter result","Dust with icing sugar immediately after draining"}
{"A pinch of saffron in the filling deepens colour and adds subtle floral complexity","Can be baked at 180°C for a lighter version, though fried is traditional","Best eaten warm — the cheese centre stays soft only while hot"}
{"Using aged pecorino — the filling becomes grainy and too salty","Over-filling — creates blowouts during frying","Pastry too thin — absorbs excess oil"}
Cucina delle Marche — Tradizioni Regionali