The sfogliatella is a shell-shaped Neapolitan pastry filled with a fragrant cream of ricotta, semolina, candied fruit and cinnamon. There are two classic versions: the riccia, with its crisp, paper-thin layers of puff pastry, and the frolla, with a smooth, soft shortcrust shell. It originates in Campania and is recognised as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT) of the Campania region.
What is the difference between sfogliatella riccia and frolla?
The difference lies entirely in the shell, because the filling is identical. The riccia has a triangular, shell-like shape and is made of many thin layers of laminated puff pastry (traditionally with lard) that turn extremely crisp when baked — making it is considered a true art. The frolla is rounded and smooth, made with soft shortcrust pastry and far simpler to prepare. Purists point out that the frolla is closer to the original shape.
Where and when did the sfogliatella originate?
The sfogliatella originated around 1600 at the Santa Rosa Monastery in Conca dei Marini, on the Amalfi Coast (province of Salerno) — not in Naples. According to tradition, a cloistered nun (remembered as Mother Clotilde or Sister Brigida) did not want to waste leftover semolina cooked in milk: she mixed it with ricotta, dried fruit, sugar and lemon liqueur, enclosing the filling between two sheets of dough shaped like a monk's hood. The pastry was named “Santa Rosa” in honour of the convent's patron saint.
How did it reach Naples?
The recipe stayed secret in the monastery for about two centuries. In 1818, the Neapolitan innkeeper Pasquale Pintauro, whose shop stood on Via Toledo, obtained the original recipe. He modified it by removing the cream and sour cherries and thinning the pastry: thus the modern shell-shaped sfogliatella riccia was born. His shop is still in business today.
What are the filling ingredients?
The traditional filling combines semolina cooked in milk, sweetened ricotta, eggs, candied orange or citron peel, cinnamon and vanilla (often with orange-blossom essence). The contrast between the crisp shell and the creamy heart makes the sfogliatella a masterpiece of Italian pastry.
What other variants are there?
Besides riccia and frolla, there is the Santa Rosa (the “ancestor”, larger, topped with pastry cream and sour cherries) and the coda d'aragosta (an elongated riccia, filled after baking with whipped cream, Chantilly cream or chocolate). Abruzzo and Puglia also have their regional versions.
Frequently asked questions
Should the sfogliatella be eaten warm? The riccia is best fresh from the oven, warm, when the pastry is at its crispiest. In Naples it is traditionally enjoyed with coffee.
Riccia or frolla: which to choose? The riccia for those who love crispness and flaky layers; the frolla for a soft, buttery shell. The filling is the same.
Why is it called “sfogliatella”? From “sfoglia”, meaning leaf or thin layer, referring to the many pastry layers of the riccia.
LAPA supplies restaurants, pizzerias and pastry shops across Switzerland with authentic Neapolitan sweet specialities and selected Italian products.