Pasta matta (mad pasta) is a pastry which is quick to prepare and very versatile. It is ideal as the casing for savoury pies or can be used to make cheese focaccia and many other delicious preparations including desserts.
It is also called “pulled pastry” due to its main characteristic: its elasticity. I really love it and I often prepare it because I prefer it to puff pastry in savoury pies (puff pastry is in any case more difficult to make at home) and above all because it is ready in just a few minutes.
Have you never tried it? It requires just 4 ingredients: flour, water, extra virgin olive oil and salt, to be mixed by hand in a bowl. After about half an hour of resting time the dough is ready to be “pulled” with the rolling pin to obtain very thin sheets, perfect for your recipes. In the notes below you will find some ideas for using it.
Just think that in Genoa, in the Easter Pie, our grandmothers, according to tradition, rolled out 33 sheets, the same number as the years of Christ’s life. They were then placed one on top of another to wrap a very tasty filling. The sheets were so thin that, placed above a love letter, they were supposed to be allow the text to be read i.e. to be “see through”.
We don’t have to make them that thin but you will see that this pastry is very easy to make with a few simple steps set out below in the instructions and in the video that I have made for you.
Ingredients
Tools
Steps
The quantities given are sufficient for quite a large Easter pie. If any pasta matta dough is left over you can prepare cheese focaccia or other savoury pies.
In a bowl, first mix all the ingredients (flour, water, oil and salt) together with a fork and then knead with your hands to obtain a smooth and elastic dough.
Hint: the mixing and kneading must be quick and the ingredients of good quality.
Make a loaf shape, cover with a damp cloth to ensure it does not dry out and leave to rest for at least half an hour.
Note: a brief rest makes the dough more flexible. If you want to use it after a longer period, you can wrap the pasta matta in food film and put it in the fridge to rest.
Variant: some people add a drop of vinegar or white wine to the dough. Another trick to make it more elastic.
Roll the pasta matta out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured pastry board (I use durum wheat flour). If you want, you can also use a dough sheeter.
Varied doses for servings