The Neapolitan Pastiera is the famous dessert of the Neapolitan tradition that is prepared during the Easter period. It is an ancient family recipe, always made by my grandmother, who got it from her sister. Although she was from Rome, she fell in love with a handsome young Neapolitan, got married, and moved to Naples at a young age. She, Fernanda, like my grandmother, have always been lovers of traditional cooking, and she made the pastiera with her husband’s family in Naples. One day she told my grandmother to try this wonderful cake, and it was love at first bite. From that day on, my grandmother prepared the pastiera for all of us every year, always following her sister’s recipe with little Neapolitan tricks and tips. A very solid pastry shell that does not break during baking, perfect strips, and a soft and creamy filling, not to mention the aroma of flavors that make it truly unique. My grandmother learned everything from her sister, and I learned from her. Yes, because in the family, I’m the only one who makes the pastiera, but unfortunately, I’ve been making it alone for several years because neither my grandmother nor her sister are with us anymore. Every year, when I bring it to the table on Easter day, I always say, here is Grandma Rina’s pastiera. I’ll leave you some tips to perfectly prepare Grandma Rina’s pastiera

THE WHEAT: It’s irreplaceable even if not everyone likes it. In fact, my grandmother would blend part of it and leave part whole. The ancient recipe required raw wheat, which today is very difficult to find except in Naples, and you need to use half of the cooked one, soak it for at least four days, changing the water, and then cook it. Today, it is already available in supermarkets.

RICOTTA: always and only sheep’s ricotta, as it is much tastier

BUTTER OR LARD: These have always been the discussions about this ingredient. The ancient recipe required the use of lard, which over time has been replaced with butter, but if desired, you can use 100 g of lard instead of butter.

CREAM OR NO CREAM: In the original recipe, there is no cream. However, since not everyone likes wheat, cream greatly masks its texture and makes it much creamier and always very good, even though it deviates significantly from the original version. Still, if you wish, you can add 4/5 tablespoons to the wheat or ricotta cream.

CANDIED FRUITS AND AROMA: are irreplaceable and fundamental to give the intoxicating aroma that only the pastiera possesses. You can finely chop the candied fruits so they don’t bother you when enjoying a slice of pastiera. The orange blossom aroma is essential; you can use either the bottle, which would be about 2 tablespoons, or the concentrated vials, of which just a few drops are enough, and finally, even the citrus peels make the dessert even more fragrant.

EGG YOLK FOR BRUSHING YES OR NO: We’ve always used it to make the shell a bit darker, but here too, there are different schools of thought. I always follow Grandma Rina’s school.

Now let’s see how to make the Neapolitan Pastiera: ancient family recipe

DON’T MISS OTHER EASTER RECIPES