~801 cal · 55g protein · 27g carbs · 54g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Round golden pastry pie dusted with sugar and cinnamon lines
🇲🇦 Casablanca-Settat
Bastilla (pastilla) is Morocco’s grand-occasion showpiece — layers of paper-thin warqa pastry over saffron chicken and toasted almonds, finished with a scandalous snow of powdered sugar. It’s the dish that opens a wedding feast and silences a table.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 6 —
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2 lbs chicken thighs
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10 warqa or filo pastry sheets
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1.5 cups blanched almonds, toasted and ground
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4 eggs (to bind the filling)
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6 tbsp butter, melted (for brushing)
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2 onions, grated
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a pinch saffron
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1 tsp ginger
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1 tsp cinnamon
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1 cup total cilantro + parsley
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1/4 cup powdered sugar
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1 tbsp ground cinnamon (to finish)
Instructions
1
Braise the chicken (or mushrooms and chickpeas) with onions, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, and a splash of water until tender, 30 minutes. Shred; reduce the sauce until nearly dry.
2
Beat the eggs (or slurry) into the hot reduced sauce off the heat until softly scrambled and creamy; fold into the shredded filling with the herbs.
3
Toast and grind the almonds with a spoon of sugar and cinnamon.
4
Butter a round pan and layer 6 pastry sheets, overhanging. Spread the filling, then the almond mix, and fold the overhang over; top with 4 more buttered sheets, tucking under.
5
Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes until deep gold and crackling. Invert, and finish with the classic snow of powdered sugar and cinnamon crosshatch. Serve warm.
Casablanca-Settat celebration tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Casablanca-Settat. The coast that folds pigeon and almond into a sugared pie.
🗺️
Morocco. Where the Sahara meets the sea and spice routes crossed.
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Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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