Description
Golden, crisp kataifi pastry layered with creamy cheeses and topped with finely chopped pistachios, all soaked in a fragrant rose-scented syrup. This luxurious Pistachio Knafeh is an irresistible Middle Eastern dessert made to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound kataifi dough, thawed
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and clarified
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup sugar (divided)
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped pistachios
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon rose water or orange blossom water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a round 10–12 inch metal baking pan with melted butter.
- In a bowl, mix mozzarella, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons sugar until combined. In a separate bowl, toss kataifi dough with melted clarified butter until evenly coated.
- Press half of the kataifi into the bottom of the pan, forming a firm, even layer.
- Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with some of the chopped pistachios.
- Top with remaining kataifi, pressing gently to even out the surface.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is deeply golden and crisp.
- While baking, prepare the syrup: simmer water, remaining sugar, lemon juice, and rose water for 8–10 minutes. Let cool.
- Pour cool syrup over hot knafeh. Let rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining pistachios and serve warm.
Notes
- Use freshly chopped pistachios for best texture and color.
- Thaw kataifi dough overnight and gently separate strands for best results.
- Clarify the butter to avoid excess moisture in the dough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 170mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 50mg