Pasta Matta on 🍽️ Recipes & ⚗️ Analysis by Diego

Savoury Parmesan and Spinach Parcels

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Savoury Parmesan and Spinach Parcels

Set the amount of ingredients you want to use with one of the two options below:

you can pick the number of servings with x1, x2, x3 and so on. Servings are indicative, adjust them to your preference.
you can set the amount of Fresh spinach (raw weight) you want to use. For example, if you want to use 340 grams, type 340 in the box below.

Quantity

Fresh spinach (raw weight) (min g, max g): g

1. Ingredients

Filling

Ingredient	Quantity
Fresh spinach (raw weight)	160 g
Firm tofu	125 g
Grated parmesan	75 g
Salt	1 g
Nutmeg	to taste
Garlic	to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil	to taste
Pepper	to taste

Shell

Ingredient	Quantity
Crispy paprika pasta matta	1 batch

2. Method

Get ready (before you start)
Prepare the crispy paprika pasta matta and let it rest, covered, while you make the filling. For 320 g of spinach you can use 300 g of total pasta matta flour (150 g semolina + 150 g type 2).
Filling
Blanch the 160 g fresh spinach (see the note below on the amount of spinach) in water for 1-2 minutes, then drain. Alternatively, chop it into small pieces (do not use whole large leaves), boil for 1 minute in a covered pan with boiling water, then drain the water and sauté for a few minutes in the pan to dry it.
Squeeze the spinach firmly to drain the water well. This step is important: the water left in the spinach then has to be compensated for with breadcrumbs, and it still risks coming out in the oven, soaking the pastry shell and making it tear. Better to spend time squeezing it well now than to fix it later.
Blend the squeezed spinach, the 125 g firm tofu crumbled and squeezed, the 75 g grated parmesan, the garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, a grating of nutmeg and the pepper.
Blend to a thick, smooth cream. Taste and adjust for seasoning and flavour: parmesan already brings plenty of salt and umami, so add the salt only if the taste calls for it, often it is not needed at all.
If the mixture is still too wet, stir in the breadcrumbs. Better to add them a little at a time and check the consistency.
Chill the filling while you roll out the dough: a cold, dry filling holds its shape better and seals without making the shell give way.
Shaping
Divide the pasta matta into balls and roll each into a disc. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre, leaving a generous free border all around. If you like, you can try more creative shapes, as shown in the photos.

In the photo, the sibling variant: savoury sun-dried tomato and paprika parcels.

Savoury Sun-Dried Tomato and Paprika Parcels

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Savoury Sun-Dried Tomato and Paprika Parcels

Set the amount of ingredients you want to use with one of the two options below:

you can pick the number of servings with x1, x2, x3 and so on. Servings are indicative, adjust them to your preference.
you can set the amount of Fresh spinach (raw weight) you want to use. For example, if you want to use 340 grams, type 340 in the box below.

Quantity

Fresh spinach (raw weight) (min g, max g): g

1. Ingredients

Filling

Ingredient	Quantity
Fresh spinach (raw weight)	160 g
Cooked cannellini beans	70 g
Sun-dried tomatoes	60 g
Extra-virgin olive oil	10 g
Smoked paprika	2.5 g
Salt	1 g

Shell

Ingredient	Quantity
Crispy paprika pasta matta	1 batch

2. Method

Get ready (before you start)
Prepare the crispy paprika pasta matta and let it rest, covered, while you make the filling. For 320 g of spinach you can use 300 g of total pasta matta flour (150 g semolina + 150 g type 2).
For this recipe, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes work well. If you use dry ones to rehydrate (not oil-packed), pay attention to the seasoning: you can rehydrate them in hot water for 10-20 minutes until soft, then drain. Even so, they usually stay saltier than oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.
Filling
Blanch the 160 g fresh spinach (see the note below on the amount of spinach) in water for 1-2 minutes, then drain. Alternatively, chop it into small pieces (do not use whole large leaves), boil for 1 minute in a pot/pan with boiling water, with a lid on, then drain the water and sauté for a few minutes in the pan to dry it.
Squeeze the spinach firmly to drain the water well. This step is important: the water left in the spinach then has to be compensated for with breadcrumbs, and it still risks coming out in the oven, soaking the pastry shell and making it tear. Better to spend time squeezing it well now than to fix it later.
Blend the squeezed spinach, the 70 g cooked cannellini beans (drained), the 60 g sun-dried tomatoes, the 10 g extra-virgin olive oil and the 2.5 g smoked paprika. Blending the paprika together with the oil is the right technique: the paprika's colour and aroma are fat-soluble and the oil extracts them with no risk of burning.
Blend to a thick, smooth cream. Taste and adjust for seasoning: sun-dried tomatoes are already very salty and rich in umami, so add the salt only if the taste calls for it, often it is not needed at all.
If the mixture is still too wet, stir in the breadcrumbs. Better to add them a little at a time and check the consistency.
Chill the filling while you roll out the dough: a cold, dry filling holds its shape better and seals without making the shell give way.
Shaping
Divide the pasta matta into balls and roll each into a disc. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre, leaving a generous free border all around. If you like, you can try more creative shapes, as shown in the photos.
Leave a few small openings, or use a toothpick to make a few holes on the top of the parcel: this lets the filling's steam escape in a controlled way during baking. A fully sealed parcel risks tearing at a random point and letting the filling out.
Keep the parcel's seam facing up (that is, not resting on the tray): otherwise, if the filling is a little watery, a seam facing down will open during baking and let the filling out onto the tray (learned from experience...).
Arrange the parcels on a lined baking tray and brush them with a film of olive oil (optional): it gives extra colour and crispness to the surface.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 200 °C static and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is well golden. The filling is already cooked: baking only serves to cook the pastry and firm up the filling by evaporating the residual water.
Straight out of the oven the filling will be soft: this is normal, it firms up as it cools. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

3. Storage

Let cool completely before storing.

Crispy Paprika Pasta Matta

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Crispy Paprika Pasta Matta

Set the amount of ingredients you want to use with one of the two options below:

you can pick the number of servings with x1, x2, x3 and so on. Servings are indicative, adjust them to your preference.
you can set the amount of Wholegrain durum wheat semolina (re-milled) you want to use. For example, if you want to use 340 grams, type 340 in the box below.

Quantity

Wholegrain durum wheat semolina (re-milled) (min g, max g): g

1. Ingredients

Dough

Ingredient	Quantity
Wholegrain durum wheat semolina (re-milled)	150 g
Type 2 flour (semi-wholegrain, stone-milled)	150 g
Water (room temperature)	150 g
Olive oil	60 g
Smoked paprika	10 g
Fine salt	6 g

The ingredients: wholegrain semolina and type 2 flour, olive oil, water, smoked paprika and salt.

2. Method

Optional: Bloom the paprika.
Warm the 60 g olive oil over low heat until just lukewarm (it must not fry). Remove from heat, stir in the 10 g smoked paprika and stir for 30-60 seconds: the oil takes on colour and becomes fragrant. Let cool slightly. This step extracts the paprika's colour and aroma without burning it.
Make the dough.
In a bowl combine the 150 g wholegrain semolina and the 150 g type 2 flour with the 6 g fine salt (and the 10 g smoked paprika, if you skipped the blooming step). Add the 150 g water at room temperature and the 60 g olive oil (the paprika oil, if you bloomed it), a little at a time while kneading. The water amount is fixed (50% of the flour weight). Stop when the dough comes together into a firm, non-sticky ball. Pasta matta is a dry dough, it should not feel soft or wet. It's normal for it to stay rough, as in the photo; it relaxes after resting in the fridge.
Cover in an airtight container and rest at least 30 minutes at room temperature (the longer the better; you can even refrigerate it for the next day): resting hydrates the semolina fully and makes the dough more elastic and easier to roll thin without tearing. If you really want to do a proper job, cover with cling film in direct contact to limit evaporation and the forming of a surface skin as much as possible. I consider it an optional step, and a waste of plastic too, because we then have to knead it again to make the balls, so any surface skin gets fixed by that re-kneading.
Roll out.
Divide the dough into as many pieces as you like: the smaller the portion, the more small savoury tarts you get, rather than a single tray-sized tart. I'd suggest no less than 80 g per piece (unless you're after ravioli). Roll each piece on a surface lightly dusted with semolina, as thin as possible (1-2 mm for a cracker-like result). Rolling in two stages, a first pass, a short rest, then a second, helps the semolina keep the sheet from tearing.
The pasta matta is ready: you can now use it to make savoury parcels, such as the savoury parmesan and spinach parcels or the savoury sun-dried tomato and paprika parcels, or make crackers/schiacciata by carrying on with the recipe below. It is not an ideal use, though: if you want a schiacciata I recommend the vegetable schiacciata recipe.
Bake.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C static. Transfer the sheets to a lined baking tray, prick them all over with a fork (prevents bubbles and keeps them flat and crisp). A pinch of salt on top is optional.
Bake 15-18 minutes until evenly golden with crisp edges. Thicker sheets need a few minutes more. Watch the last few minutes: being thin and oil-rich, it goes from golden to too dark quickly.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack: pasta matta crisps up as it cools, not straight out of the oven.

3. Storage

Let cool completely on a wire rack before storing: if sealed while warm, steam softens it and it loses its crunch.