Sfogliatella was created to avoid wasting leftover semolina.

The sfogliatella is one of the most famous and sought-after desserts in Neapolitan pastry making, but few know that its origins lie in the ancient, simple cuisine of leftovers and its inventions, born out of necessity rather than culinary passion. It's the 17th century, and in a convent of cloistered nuns, dedicated to Saint Rita, in Conca dei Marini, at the entrance to the Amalfi Coast, a group of nuns are pondering... how not to waste leftover semolina cooked in milk.

This preparation was very popular among working-class people because it was inexpensive, had an excellent flavor, and could be used in many ways. Semolina cooked in milk became a sort of thick cream, sweetened with sugar and served as a dessert; or, once cooled, it was cut into pieces and cooked again (baked or fried) to make sweet or savory gnocchi. Semolina cooked in milk was also a typical dish for weaning babies, or during flu season, as it provided little nourishment and was easy to digest.

The only drawback to such a rich and high-quality product was the waste it was subjected to: leftovers were always plentiful. And so the nuns of Conca dei Marini They decided to mix leftover semolina cooked in milk with sugar, ricotta, and orange and lemon zest. The result was a flavorful and unique dessert, unlike anything ever seen before.

About two centuries passed when the Neapolitan pastry chef Pasquale Pintauro, in the nineteenth century, in mysterious circumstances (he probably had a niece in the convent), came into possession of the recipe of the Amalfi nuns, he reworked it with the use of cream and black cherry, and created the commercial sfogliatella, in two versions: the shortcrust pastry, softer, and the curly one., crunchy and layered. What is still considered a prized piece, and among the most sought-after, of Neapolitan pastry.

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