The Neapolitan Pastiera is a traditional dessert from the Campania region full of symbols related to spring and Resurrection. Its origin is attributed to the Neapolitan convent of the nuns of San Gregorio Armeno, who were the most skilled in processing wheat, which needed to be dried for months and soaked for 8 to 15 days, refreshing the water daily. Now, ready-to-use cooked wheat packages are available on the market, very good and convenient, allowing us to prepare an excellent Classic Neapolitan Pastiera following the recipe on the package. I made some slight variations during the execution because the ancient recipe calls for lard, but the result was still fantastic.

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Difficulty: Medium
Cost: Medium
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Portions: 2 pans of 9.5 inches and 7 inches
Cooking methods: Electric oven
Cuisine: Italian Regional
Region: Campania
Seasonality: Easter

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
7 oz lard (or Butter)
3 eggs (medium)
1 orange zest (untreated)
20.5 oz cooked wheat
1.5 cups milk
2 oz butter
0.25 cup sugar
21 oz sheep ricotta
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (whole)
2 egg yolks
5 oz candied orange
2 vials orange blossom aroma (orange blossom water)
5 tablespoons custard

Tools

Food scale
Cutting board
Rolling pin
Parchment paper
2 Bowls
Springform pan

Steps

Prepare a shortcrust pastry following the recipe instructions by clicking HERE. Prepare the pastry in advance, even the day before, to work and taste it at its best. Let it rest in the fridge after rolling it into a rectangle and wrapping it in parchment paper or cling film.
Pour the wheat from the jar into a saucepan with butter, sugar, and milk added gradually. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and detaching the wheat that will appear compact. When the milk has been absorbed, turn off the heat and let it cool. If you like, you can prepare the custard to mix with the wheat, and the custard recipe can be found by clicking HERE.
Pour the ricotta into a large bowl and mix well with the sugar. Add the grated zest of the untreated orange, being careful not to grate the white part, and add the eggs.
Mix well, combine the wheat with the custard, and pour it into the bowl with the ricotta. Blend everything together, and the filling is ready. Meanwhile, set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit static.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry into a disk about 0.2 inches thick and line a high-sided baking pan that has been greased and floured or lined with parchment paper. Prick the bottom with a fork and distribute the ricotta and wheat mixture, compacting and leveling it to the edges with a spatula. Trim off the excess pastry along the edge with a knife. Cut strips about 0.4 inches wide and lay them on top to form a lattice, securing them well at the sides. Tradition has it that there should be seven strips. Place in the oven at mid-height and bake for 90 minutes, checking that it does not darken too much. If necessary, cover with aluminum foil. Turn off the oven, let it cool, and serve your Classic Neapolitan Pastiera.