Casadinas or pardulas: the best Sardinian Easter sweets

Casadinas are a Sardinian sweet typical of the Easter holidays, also known as pardulas or formaggelle.

Each region has its own desserts typical of the Easter period . If, for example, pastiera cannot be missing on Neapolitan tables, on Sardinian tables the protagonists are casadinas or pardulas, sweets made with soft cheese and sultanas flavored with lemon. Depending on the area you may also find them under the name pardulas or formaggelle, but it is more or less always the same Easter recipe.

Which cheese to use? Fresh Sardinian pecorino , not seasoned and which has not yet been salted, is perfect for this recipe.

Preparation of pardulas or casadinas

1. Start by preparing the basic dough : mix the durum wheat semolina with the lard, a pinch of salt and enough warm water. Work (by hand or with the mixer) until you obtain a homogeneous dough.
2. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rest for a couple of hours .
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing the cheese with sugar, eggs, sultanas and grated lemon zest. Add the necessary flour to give the mixture the right consistency .
4. Once the resting time has elapsed, take the dough again and roll it out with the help of a rolling pin until you obtain a thin sheet.
5. Using a pastry cutter or a glass, cut out disks with a diameter of approximately 10 cm . Fill each disk with a spoonful of filling and pinch the edges to create small bowls.
6. Transfer the casadinas to a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for 30 minutes .
7. Remove from the oven and let cool before decorating with icing sugar.

If you liked this recipe, you can also try the savory casadinas !

storage

Store the pardulas in a cool place for about 2/3 days, reheating them if desired. To make them more delicious, we recommend brushing them with honey before enjoying them!

Looking for more ideas for Easter? Here are our Easter desserts !