Pastiera is a traditional Easter dessert from Naples, made of a fragrant pastry crust filled with delicious ricotta, cooked wheat, and candied fruits. In this case, I ask you to allow me some variations on the theme, to adapt it to our tastes, which is why I called it my Pastiera. In fact, I don’t add candied fruits, and with the amount usually used for one pastiera, I prepare two pans, one 12 inches and one 11 inches. That’s why I wanted to call it My Pastiera.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 10 people
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 cups Flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 7 oz Butter
- as needed Cooking spray (food release for cakes)
- 1 1/4 cups Milk
- 1 Grated orange zest
- 21 oz Cooked wheat
- 25 oz Ricotta
- 1 packet Vanillin
- 2 tablespoons Orange blossom water (or 1 vial of orange blossom aroma, 2 ml)
- 0.7 oz Butter
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 7 Eggs
Preparation
Knead 4 cups of flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, and 7 oz of softened butter without overworking them.
Let it rest for about half an hour in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and roll it out with a rolling pin.
Roll it around the rolling pin to place it in the pans more easily.
Grease two pans, 12 inches and 11 inches in diameter, with cooking spray (food release for cakes) and flour them.
Place the pastry on the bottom of the pan.
Set aside some of the dough for the strips to cover the pastiera.
Pour the cooked wheat into a saucepan.
Add 1 1/4 cups of milk, 0.7 oz of butter, and the grated peel of one orange.
Cook until the mixture becomes creamy.
Let it cool.
Cook until the mixture becomes creamy.
Let it cool.
In a mixer with beaters, place 25 oz of ricotta.
Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 7 eggs, 1 packet of vanillin, 2 tablespoons of orange blossom water.
Blend until the ingredients are well combined.
Combine this mixture with the cooled cooked wheat mixture and mix well.
Fill the pans lined with pastry with the cooked wheat and ricotta mixture, putting half the mixture in each pan.
Decorate with the strips made from the reserved pastry.
Bake at 356°F for about 1 hour, until the surface is nicely golden.
If baking two pans at once, switch their positions halfway through cooking.
Notes
My Pastiera is a bit different from the traditional one: in fact, I don’t add candied fruits because my children don’t like them. Also, since we prefer it less thick, with the normal amount (usually used to prepare one pastiera), I make two pans, one 12 inches in diameter and one 11 inches in diameter.
If you liked My Pastiera, try the other Easter recipes:
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