Maltese Sunday Lunch: Soups, Baked Pasta and Family Mains

Plan a Maltese Sunday lunch with Brodu, Ross il-Forn, Timpana, rabbit stew, Bragioli, and roast potatoes, grouped into starters, mains, and sides.

A Maltese Sunday lunch can be a pot of stew shared with bread or a longer meal built around soup, baked pasta, and family favourites. There is no need to cook every course in this collection: use it to put together a menu that fits your household and the time you have.

For a generous oven-based lunch, choose Ross il-Forn or Timpana and add vegetables. For a slow-cooked meal, try Bragioli with Patata l-Forn. Brodu followed by rabbit stew is another way to build the meal, with smaller starter portions to leave room for the main.

If rabbit is the centre of the meal, use the Maltese rabbit guide to compare stew with the garlic-and-wine fried preparation and to understand one documented fenkata serving pattern.

Check oven temperatures and cooking times before combining dishes. Two recipes may each be straightforward but compete for the same oven space. Start the longest-cooking dish first and plan a little time to clear the kitchen before serving.

Prefer fish for lunch? Explore the Maltese seafood collection. For more pies and doughs, visit Maltese baking and pastry.

Stuffed pork and a cupboard-ingredient pie

Falda tal-Majjal Mimlija encloses Maltese sausage, cheese, parsley and hard-boiled eggs in a pork-flank pocket. Corned-beef pie uses kunserva, potato, carrot and onion in shortcrust pastry. Choose one as the centre of the meal.

Pork and potatoes from the oven

Majjal il-Forn bakes shoulder chops over potatoes, onions and fennel seeds. Allow time for the meat to become tender and the exposed potatoes to brown; the vegetables cook in the same dish.

Stuffed artichokes in season

Qaqoċċ Mimli bring whole artichokes with breadcrumbs, garlic and anchovies to the table. Serve as a vegetable course or alongside bread, allowing time for the hearts to become tender.

Start with soup or ravioli

Brodu makes a warming first course, while cheese-filled ravioli offer a more substantial opening. Serve a smaller portion if a rich main is coming, or make the ravioli the centre of a simpler lunch.

Choose an oven-baked centrepiece

Ross il-Forn uses rice; Mqarrun il-Forn uses macaroni; Timpana adds a pastry case. They are alternatives for the same place in a menu, so choose the one you most want to cook. Meat pie is another option when you want something to slice and share.

Meat dishes for a long lunch

Rabbit stew and Bragioli reward a leisurely simmer. Pulpetti offer familiar meatballs, while stuffed peppers combine the filling and vegetables in one dish. Start by checking the cooking time, then work backwards from when you want to sit down.

Sides and a sweet finish

Patata l-Forn works alongside a meat main; Kapunata adds vegetables to the table. Bread is useful for the sauce. For dessert, bread pudding can follow a modest meal, or serve a small slice with Maltese coffee later in the afternoon.

Explore all Maltese recipe collections or browse every recipe.