Pastechi

About This Recipe

Pastechi are the go-to street-food snack of Aruba — crispy, half-moon pastries filled with spiced gouda cheese, ground beef, or tuna. Sold from roadside stands and bakeries, they are especially popular as a quick breakfast paired with a strong cup of coffee. The dough is made with flour and butter, rolled thin, filled, and then fried to a flaky, blistered gold.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 2 cupsall-purpose flour
• 3 tbspcold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cupcold water
• 200 ggrated Gouda or seasoned ground beef
• 1 tspsalt
• oil fordeep-frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour and salt, rub in butter until crumbly, then add cold water gradually to form a smooth dough. Rest 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Prepare filling

   For cheese version: season grated Gouda with pepper. For meat version: brown ground beef with sofrito, season well, cool.

3. 3

   Shape pastechis

   Roll dough thin (~2 mm), cut circles (12 cm diameter), place a tablespoon of filling on each half.

4. 4

   Seal and fry

   Fold dough over filling, press edges firmly, crimp with a fork. Deep-fry at 175 °C for 3–4 minutes until golden. Drain on paper.

Variations

• •

  Tuna and onion filling is equally popular.

• •

  Bake at 200 °C for 20 minutes for a lighter option.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best eaten fresh; reheat in an air-fryer for 3 minutes to restore crispiness.

Frequently Asked Questions