What Is Pastilla? (Moroccan Sweet-Savoury Pie)

Pastilla is built from layers of warqa — a paper-thin, crisp pastry similar to filo — filled with slow-cooked, heavily spiced poultry (classically pigeon, today usually chicken), folded through with fried almonds and a tangy egg mixture, then baked and finished with a dusting of cinnamon and icing sugar.

The result is a contrast of crunchy pastry, savoury spiced meat, nutty almonds and a sweet, cinnamony top — a sophisticated dish with Andalusian roots, traditionally served at weddings and feasts.

The classic poultry pastilla balances sweet and savoury in one bite, which divides and delights people. A popular seafood pastilla (fish, prawns and vermicelli, savoury rather than sweet) is common on the coast, especially in places like Essaouira. A dessert milk-and-almond pastilla also exists.

Sizes range from a large shareable pie to individual portions on tasting menus.

Pastilla appears on the menus of traditional Moroccan restaurants and palace-style dining rooms in Fes and Marrakech, where it’s often a highlight of a set feast. Fes is particularly associated with the classic version.

Because it’s labour-intensive, the best pastilla is found in good restaurants and riads rather than on the street. A cooking class can teach you the warqa-folding technique.