Barilla's Italian breakfast with Sammy & Bella @ the Melbourne Good Food & Wine Show | Recipe: Seadas (traditional Sardinian fritter)

Gastrology bloggers attended courtesy of Barilla. 

Today, Gastrology joined Barilla and My Kitchen Rules’ Sammy and Bella for an exclusive pre-show breakfast event at the Melbourne Good Food & Wine Show.

We were transported straight to the Italian Isle of Sardinia, where we prepared and cooked delicious Seadas – a sweet and savoury breakfast pastry typical of the region. 

It was a hands on class that was interactive and a lot of fun. 

We also left the delicious cooking class with a generous goodie bag from Barilla, which included some of Barilla's delicious pasta and sauces.

Recipe: Sammy and Bella's Seadas

The traditional Italian breakfast is very different from what we're used to in Australia. Brekky is often sweet and always accompanied by a coffee. Seadas (or sebadas) are a regional speciality from the land of Sardinia. They are fried pasta filled with fresh ricotta cheese and drizzled with honey. These local treasures are eaten at any time of the day, including breakfast.

Ingredients for dough

3 cups "00" flour 

1/3 cup semolina

2 free range eggs, plus 1 yolk (set 3rd egg white aside for below)

80 to 100ml water

80g salted butter, softened (or lard)

Ingredients to fill, cook and finish

extra flour for dusting

1 egg white from above

350g fresh ricotta 

50g pecorino sarda, grated

zest from 1 lemon

zest from 1 range

olive oil to fry

1/4 cup (250g) honey

Method

• In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, place plain flour, semolina, whole eggs plus yolk, 80ml water and softened butter. Mix until well combined and add a touch more water if it is too dry. Allow the machine to knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• On a floured work surface roll out the dough to 2 or 3 mm thick. Using a 4 inch fluted pastry cutter (or a glass) cut out 24 disks. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush 12 of the disks with egg white.
• Grate the pecorino and mix with ricotta, lemon and orange zests.  Distribute this mix evenly across 12 disks, cover with another disk and press down firmly on edges to seal.

• Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a frying pan until hot (or in a deep fryer to 180 degrees celcius). Fry pastries, in batches, until lightly golden. Drain excess oil on paper towel.
• Serve immediately, hot and drizzled with honey.