# Traditional Maltese Food: 30 Dishes to Cook at Home Source: https://www.malteserecipes.com/collections/traditional-maltese-recipes/ Discover 30 traditional Maltese dishes, from Bigilla and pastizzi to rabbit stew, lampuki pie, and almond sweets, grouped to help you plan a meal. Maltese cooking brings together bread, beans, seasonal vegetables, fish, slow-cooked meat, and a generous pastry tradition. A bowl of soup and a piece of crusty bread can be as much a part of the table as a pie made for a family gathering. These 30 recipes are a starting point for exploring that range. The Maltese names sit alongside English descriptions so you can recognise a familiar dish or find something new. If this is your first Maltese meal, try Bigilla with bread, then choose one of the mains below. Leave a pastry project for a day when you have time to enjoy the preparation. ## Choose a starting point For a simple lunch, pair Balbuljata with bread. For a family bake, compare Mqarrun il-Forn and Ross il-Forn: one uses pasta, the other rice. If you want a pastry filling, choose between ricotta, meat, fish, or peas before deciding whether to make a large pie or individual pastries. Not every dish fills the same place in a meal. Patata l-Forn is a potato side; Bigilla can be a shared starter; a slice of a rich bake may be the main. The groups below help you combine dishes without treating thirty recipes as one menu. New to the names? Read [Maltese food explained](/maltese-food-explained/). Looking for a recipe outside this selection? Browse the [complete recipe directory](/recipes/). For a sweet finish, compare the techniques in [Maltese desserts and sweets](/collections/maltese-desserts-and-sweets/). For a more focused menu, explore [Sunday lunch](/collections/maltese-sunday-lunch/), [baking and pastry](/collections/maltese-baking-and-pastry/), [fish and seafood](/collections/maltese-seafood/), or [festa and celebration food](/collections/maltese-festa-and-celebration-food/). ## Bread, dips, and small plates Begin with crusty bread, a dip, and vegetables to share. Bigilla needs an overnight soak, while Ħobż biż-Żejt is useful when you want something to assemble without turning on the oven. Ftira Għawdxija adds a topped Gozitan bread project when you have time for dough to rise. - [Ħobż Malti (Maltese Bread)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/hobz-malti/): Traditional Maltese crusty bread with a dark crisp crust and soft open crumb. Essential for soups, dips, and ħobż biż-żejt. - [Bigilla (Traditional Maltese Bean Dip)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/bigilla/): Make Bigilla with dried broad beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and parsley, with tips for a rustic texture and serving it with Maltese bread. - [Ħobż biż-Żejt (Maltese Tomato and Tuna Sandwich)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/hobz-biz-zejt/): Malta's iconic rustic sandwich of crusty bread, kunserva, olive oil, tuna, capers, onion, and tomato. - [Kapunata (Maltese Vegetable Stew)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/kapunata/): A vibrant Mediterranean vegetable stew with aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, capers, and olives. - [Balbuljata (Maltese Scrambled Eggs with Tomato)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/balbuljata/): A traditional Maltese summer dish of ripe tomatoes, eggs, garlic, and fresh herbs. Simple, rustic, and full of flavour. - [Ftira Għawdxija (Gozitan Potato Flatbread)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/ftira-ghawdxija/): A rustic Gozitan ftira topped with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, olives, capers, and anchovies or tuna. Simple, savoury, and deeply satisfying. ## Soups for the family table Choose Brodu for a clear meat broth or Minestra for a thick vegetable soup. Kusksu combines tiny pasta beads with broad beans; Soppa tal-Armla adds fresh cheeselets. Aljotta brings fish, garlic, and lemon to the same comforting bowl. - [Brodu (Maltese Beef and Vegetable Broth)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/brodu/): Malta's comforting winter soup - a clear, rich meat broth simmered with seasonal vegetables. Simple, nourishing, and traditionally served on cold days. - [Minestra (Thick Maltese Vegetable Soup)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/minestra/): A hearty, rustic Maltese vegetable soup - thicker than brodu and packed with seasonal vegetables. A true everyday home dish. - [Kusksu (Maltese Broad Bean and Pasta Soup)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/kusksu/): A traditional Maltese spring soup with broad beans, tiny pasta beads, and fresh gbejna. Comforting, seasonal, and deeply local. - [Soppa tal-Armla (Widow's Soup)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/soppa-tal-armla/): A traditional Maltese vegetable soup enriched with small fresh cheeselets (ġbejna). Simple, rustic, and deeply comforting. - [Aljotta (Maltese Garlic Fish Soup)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/aljotta/): A light, garlicky Maltese fish soup with whole fish, rice, lemon, and herbs. Traditionally served during Lent and on fish days. ## Hearty mains and a potato side Rabbit stew and Bragioli suit a day when you can let a pot simmer. Pulpetti and stuffed peppers offer other family mains. Compare baked macaroni with baked rice, or choose Patata l-Forn as a side for a meat dish rather than a main on its own. - [Stuffat tal-Fenek (Rabbit Stew)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/stuffat-tal-fenek/): Malta's national dish - slow-cooked rabbit in rich tomato and wine sauce. - [Bragioli (Maltese Beef Olives)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/bragioli/): Tender beef rolls stuffed with savory pork filling, eggs, and slow-cooked in rich tomato sauce. - [Pulpetti tal-Laħam (Maltese Meatballs)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/pulpetti-tal-laham/): Traditional Maltese meatballs made with minced meat, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and cheese, then fried or simmered in tomato sauce. - [Bżar Mimli (Stuffed Peppers)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/bzar-mimli/): Maltese stuffed peppers baked with minced meat, rice, tomato, herbs, and garlic. Colourful, hearty, and ideal for family meals. - [Mqarrun il-Forn (Maltese Baked Macaroni)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/mqarrun-il-forn/): Traditional Maltese baked macaroni with rich meat sauce, eggs, and cheese. Comforting, golden, and perfect for Sunday lunch. - [Ross il-Forn (Maltese Baked Rice)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/ross-il-forn/): Malta's comforting baked rice dish with minced meat and tomato, baked until golden. A classic Sunday family dish. - [Patata l-Forn (Maltese Roast Potatoes)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/patata-l-forn/): Maltese oven-roasted potatoes with onion, garlic, stock, fennel seed, and olive oil. Golden on top, tender underneath, and full of Sunday lunch flavour. ## Pies and savoury pastries Maltese pastry cooking ranges from small, flaky pastizzi to pies you slice at the table. Compare ricotta and pea fillings, or choose a meat, ricotta, or lampuki pie. Check the pastry instructions before starting so you can allow time for resting and cooling the filling. - [Pastizzi tal-Irkotta (Maltese Ricotta Pastries)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/pastizzi-tal-irkotta/): Malta's beloved flaky pastries filled with seasoned ricotta. Crisp, golden, and best eaten warm from the oven. - [Pastizzi tal-Piżelli (Maltese Pea Pastries)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/pastizzi-tal-pizelli/): Classic Maltese flaky pastries filled with spiced mushy peas. Crisp, savoury, and a favourite from every pastizzeria. - [Torta tal-Laħam (Maltese Meat Pie)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/torta-tal-laham/): A traditional Maltese meat pie filled with minced beef, peas, tomato, herbs, and flaky pastry. Hearty and perfect for family meals. - [Torta tal-Irkotta (Maltese Ricotta Pie)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/torta-tal-irkotta/): A traditional Maltese savoury ricotta pie with eggs, parsley, and cheese in golden shortcrust pastry. Simple, comforting, and excellent warm or cold. - [Torta tal-Lampuki (Maltese Fish Pie)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/torta-tal-lampuki/): A beloved Maltese autumn fish pie with lampuki (dolphinfish), spinach, olives, capers, and pine nuts wrapped in flaky pastry. - [Qassatat tal-Piżelli (Maltese Pea Pies)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/qassatat-tal-pizelli/): Traditional Maltese open savoury pastries filled with spiced mushy peas. Hearty, inexpensive, and perfect warm from the bakery. ## Sweets and seasonal favourites Try date-filled Imqaret or bread pudding for a sweet finish. Figolli belong to Easter, Kwareżimal to Lent, and Prinjolata to Carnival. Treacle-filled Qagħaq tal-Għasel offers another pastry project. Choose by technique as well as occasion: frying, shaping, and assembling require different preparation. - [Imqaret (Maltese Date Pastries)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/imqaret/): Traditional Maltese fried date pastries scented with citrus, aniseed, and warm spice. Crisp outside, sticky and aromatic inside. - [Pudina tal-Ħobż (Maltese Bread Pudding)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/pudina-tal-hobz/): A traditional Maltese bread pudding made with stale bread, cocoa, citrus, spices, dried fruit, and nuts. Frugal, rich, and deeply nostalgic. - [Figolli (Maltese Easter Almond Pastries)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/figolli/): Malta's iconic Easter sweet - two layers of pastry filled with almond paste, baked and decorated with colourful icing and a chocolate egg on top. - [Kwareżimal (Maltese Lenten Biscuits)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/kwarezimal/): Traditional Maltese Lenten biscuits made without eggs, butter, or dairy. Dense, aromatic, and rich with almonds, citrus, and warm spices. - [Qagħaq tal-Għasel (Maltese Honey Rings)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/qaghaq-tal-ghasel/): Traditional Maltese honey rings filled with treacle, citrus, spices, and semolina. A fragrant festive sweet with a rich, sticky centre. - [Prinjolata (Maltese Carnival Cake)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/prinjolata/): A festive dome-shaped Maltese dessert for Carnival, layered with sponge, pastry, cream, and nuts, covered in meringue and decorated with pine nuts and cherries.