Easter is approaching, and with that comes all the Easter baking! When I think Easter, I definitely think more on the sweet side than the savoury side for some reason. I know that lamb is traditionally eaten at Easter meals, but somehow I just skip that and my mind just goes straight to the dessert! (Can you blame me?)
Maybe it’s because my mom would make Easter desserts every year, so that when I think of Easter, I immediately remember the smell of the desserts baking in the oven and the heavenly aroma that they filled the house with. For me, I feel it truly wouldn’t be Easter if I don’t make at least one of these desserts.
If you’re in the mood for some traditional Italian Easter desserts, these are my recommendations for a truly delicious Easter, Italian-style!
1. Pastiera Napoletana (Pie with ricotta and cooked wheat)
Pastiera is probably the most well-known of the Italian Easter desserts, and for good reason. If I had to pick one favorite (although it’s so hard to do!), pastiera would be my pick. It’s something you don’t get at any other time of the year because the cooked wheat is only available at this time of year in Italian grocery stores. It has such a unique flavour and everyone always looks forward to it after the big Easter meal. I went a bit off-tradition on the one pictured by topping it with fresh fruit, but you can top it with a lattice design from the extra dough to keep it traditional.
Find the recipe for a traditional pastiera napoletana here.
Find the recipe for a modern pastiera napoletana here
2. Pastiera di Riso (Easter Rice Pie)
Ok, I don’t actually know if it’s called a pastiera Molisana, but that’s what I call it because my mom learned to make this one from her Molisani friends that live here in Vancouver. It’s similar to a pastiera napoletana, but uses rice. I like to think of it as a pie filled with creamy rice pudding. It can’t get much better than that can it?
Find the recipe here.
3. Crostata (Jam Tart)
This one may not be a traditional Easter dessert (I think people make it year-round), but my mom made it at Easter time, so that’s why I associate it with that time of the year. You can make it with any flavor jam you like to make it your own and adapt it to your taste. Out of the the 3 desserts on this list, this one is definitely the least labour intensive and won’t take long to make, so if you’re in a time crunch with your Easter baking, this dessert is the one to go with!
Find the recipe here.
So tell me, which one of these Italian Easter desserts will you be making this year?
If you make one, please comment below, or tag me on Instagram, I would love to see!
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