TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Pastiera NapoletanaNeapolitan Easter Wheat and Ricotta Tart
The tart that symbolizes Easter in Naples. A filling of cooked wheat (grano cotto), ricotta, eggs, sugar and orange blossom water is baked in a pasta frolla crust. Letting it stand for at least 1 day before eating is essential.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (10 servings)
- Cake flour (for the pastry)400 g
- Lard or unsalted butterTraditionally made with lard.200 g
- Sugar (for the pastry)150 g
- Whole egg and yolks (for the pastry)1 whole egg plus 2 yolks.3 pieces
- Cooked wheat berries (canned)Available from Italian or imported-food shops. Conveniently precooked.400 g
- Whole milk (for cooking the wheat)200 ml
- Butter (for cooking the wheat)30 g
- Sheep's milk ricottaDiscard the liquid in the container and drain, gently pressing with paper towels.400 g
- Sugar (for the filling)250 g
- Whole eggs (for the filling)Separate the yolks and whites.5 pieces
- Orange blossom waterThe characteristic aroma of pastiera. Do not skimp.30 ml
- Candied orange and citron peel100 g
- Ground cinnamon3 g
- Vanilla paste or essence5 ml
Method
Drain the ricotta
- 1 Discard the liquid in the container of 400 g sheep’s milk ricotta.
- 2 Gently press the surface with paper towels.
Ready when
After 30 minutes, continue when sufficiently drained.
Caution
Excess moisture makes the filling watery. Drain thoroughly.
Cook the grano cotto
- 1 Grate only the colored outer skin of the lemon.
- 2 Put 400 g grano cotto in a saucepan with 200 ml milk, 30 g butter and the grated lemon zest.
- 3 Stir continuously over medium heat for 15–20 minutes until the wheat absorbs the milk and becomes creamy.
- 4 Cool.
Ready when
After 15–20 minutes, proceed when the milk is absorbed and the mixture is creamy; wait until cool.
Caution
Keep stirring so the bottom does not burn.
Make and rest the pasta frolla
- 1 Rub 200 g lard into 400 g cake flour.
- 2 Add 150 g sugar and 3 eggs and quickly bring together.
- 3 Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Ready when
Continue when the dough holds together, after 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Caution
Do not overknead.
Make the filling
- 1 Mix 400 g drained ricotta with 250 g sugar until smooth.
- 2 Add the yolks, 30 ml orange blossom water, vanilla, cinnamon and chopped candied citrus.
- 3 Add the cooled wheat cream and mix well.
Ready when
Continue when evenly combined.
Caution
Do not skimp on orange blossom water: it is the heart of pastiera’s aroma.
Fold in the egg whites
- 1 Whip 5 egg whites until firm.
- 2 Gently fold into the ricotta mixture in 2 additions.
Ready when
Continue when no white streaks remain.
Caution
Fold with as little loss of air as possible.
Fill the tin and add a lattice
- 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- 2 Thinly line a 30 cm tart tin, including its sides, with 2/3 of the pastry.
- 3 Pour in filling to 9/10 of the tin’s depth.
- 4 Cut the remaining pastry into 1 cm strips and arrange in a lattice.
Ready when
Continue when the lattice is complete.
Bake the pastiera
- 1 Bake at 180°C for 65–70 minutes.
Ready when
It is baked when the top is golden and the filling has set.
Caution
Cracks on the surface are normal.
Cool and mature
- 1 Cool completely before refrigerating.
- 2 Leave for at least 1 day before serving.
Ready when
Allow at least 1 day, preferably 2 days. The longer it rests, the more the flavors blend.
About this dish
In Naples, a legend describes pastiera as the sweet that made the weeping Ferdinand I smile. The exaggeration that it could cheer a king expresses its place in Neapolitan life.
Its most important ingredient is orange blossom water, acqua di fiori d’arancio. The rustic cooked wheat, rich ricotta, cinnamon and vanilla are all united by this fragrance. A pastiera without orange blossom water is fundamentally a different sweet.
The instruction to eat it the day after baking or later has a practical purpose, rather than being mere custom. Fresh from the oven, the ingredients stand apart; overnight, the layers blend and fragrance spreads throughout. Time is the last step of the recipe.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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