This Pastiera Napoletana is a modern take on the classic Italian Easter pie. Filled with cooked wheat and ricotta, its flavours are unique and scrumptious, perfect for celebrating Easter in the most delicious way possible!
Pastiera Napoletana. From the name, one can tell that it has origins in Naples. My mom makes this recipe every year at Easter, but it’s funny, because she’s not from Naples. No one from my family is.
She learned to make Pastiera Napoletana here in Vancouver, and now it’s part of the Easter festivities and it wouldn’t be Easter without it.
As with many recipes that are handed down and made over time, my mom’s pastiera recipe has evolved to fit the ingredients that are easily found in Canada. Some ingredients that a very traditional Pastiera Napoletana uses are hard to find in Canada (like fior d’arancio), so this particular recipe is adapted slightly, but still has the essence of a traditional pastiera.
If you’re looking for a more traditional pastierna napoletana recipe, I have one here.
What is Pastiera Napoletana?
Quite simply it’s a traditional Italian Easter pie. It traditionally uses a shortcrust pastry, and is filled with ricotta, cooked wheat (grano cotto), orange and lemon flavors, and sugar.
As the name suggests, the pastiera originates in Naples, and is common in that area. Different variations of the pastiera exist too – (pastiera with rice instead of wheat, pastiera filled with cream instead of ricotta).
As I mentioned – this is my mom’s recipe, and it has been adapted to fit Western Canadian ingredients and practices.
How is this pastiera different from a traditional pastiera?
A few things:
- The crust – A traditional pastiera uses a shortcrust dough (pasta frolla) made with flour, eggs, and sugar. This recipe uses a pie dough made with shortening, flour, one egg and vinegar.
- The filling – A traditional pastiera is filled with cooked wheat, ricotta, candied oranges, fior d’arancio (orange blossom water), the seeds of a vanilla bean, and cinnamon. This version is filled with cooked wheat and ricotta, but since candied oranges and fior d’arancio are hard to find here, orange zest is added instead.
- The appearance – A traditional pastiera is decorated with a lattice, but this pastiera is topped with fresh fruit and flowers.
How to Make Pastiera Napoletana – Step by Step
Prepare the dough:
In a large mixing bowl, mix the lard, flour, salt and baking powder with a hand pastry blender until small crumbs form.
Prepare your wet ingredients by beating the egg, adding the vinegar to it, then pouring this mixture into a measuring cup. Add water until wet ingredients equals a half cup (photo 1)
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and work with your hands until a ball of dough forms (photos 3 & 4)
Wrap the dough in saran wrap and set aside (photo 5)
Prepare the filling:
In a saucepan, add the grano cotto, butter and milk (photo 6)
Bring the ingredients to a gentle boil, and stir continuously until a cream-like consistency is reached, about 20 minutes. Let the grano cotto mixture cool (photo 7)
In a bowl, mix ricotta, sugar and eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest with a wooden spoon until ingredients are fully incorporated (photos 8 & 9)
Mix the grano cotto and ricotta mixtures together (photo 10)
Finish the pastiera:
On a flat, floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough out. Add more flour if the dough is feeling a little moist. The thickness of the dough should be about 0.2 inches (photo 11)
Transfer the dough to a pie dish and cut off any edges that hang off the pie dish (photo 12)
Spoon in the filling (photo 13) , and close the edges of the pastiera (photo 14)
Bake for 80 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit (photo 15) Sprinkle with icing sugar
Top Tips for Making Pastiera Napoletana:
- A traditional pastiera is topped with a lattice. You can for certain top this pastiera with a lattice, or if you want a less traditional look/feel, you can omit the lattice and top it with fresh fruit as shown instead.
- When mixing the ricotta mixture together, instead of mixing manually, you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Just be sure to fold in the grano cotto mixture by hand (with a wooden spoon).
- You may have extra pie dough left, especially if you omit the lattice on the top of the pastiera
- This recipe was made in a 9.5 inch Pyrex glass pie dish, so the filling amounts are suited to a dish of this size.
More Italian Holiday Recipes You Might Like:
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Pastiera Napoletana
Pastiera Napoletana is a traditional Italian Easter pie filled with ricotta, cooked wheat berries, and beautiful citrus flavors. It's bound to be a hit on your Easter table!
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 1/3 cup Tenderflake lard
- 2 1/2 + 3 tbsp cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
- water
For the filling
- 1 cup grano cotto (cooked wheat berries)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cups ricotta
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- zest of one orange
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the dough
-
In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients with a hand pastry blender until small crumbs form.
-
Prepare your wet ingredients by beating the egg, adding the vinegar to it, then pouring this mixture into a measuring cup. Add water until wet ingredients equals a half cup.
-
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and work with your hands until a ball of dough forms. Set the dough aside.
Prepare the filling
-
In a saucepan, add the grano cotto, butter and milk. Bring the ingredients to a gentle boil, and stir continuously until a cream-like consistency is reached, about 20 minutes. Let the grano cotto mixture cool.
-
In a bowl, mix ricotta, sugar and eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest with a wooden spoon until ingredients are fully incorporated.
-
Mix the grano cotto and ricotta mixtures together.
To finish the Pastiera
-
Place dough on a flat, floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough out. Add more flour if the dough is feeling a little moist. The thickness of the dough should be about 1/2 cm.
-
Transfer the dough to a pie dish and cut off any edges that hang off the pie dish.
-
Spoon in the filling. Feel free to make a lattice design with the extra dough or leave plain and decorate with fruit after baked.
-
Bake for 80 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit, or until pastiera is golden on the edges.
-
Sprinkle with icing sugar
Recipe Notes
- A traditional pastiera is topped with a lattice. You can for certain top this pastiera with a lattice, or if you want a less traditional look/feel, you can omit the lattice and top it with fresh fruit as shown instead.
- When mixing the ricotta mixture together, instead of mixing manually, you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Just be sure to fold in the grano cotto mixture by hand (with a wooden spoon).
- You may have extra pie dough left, especially if you omit the lattice on the top of the pastiera
- This recipe was made in a 9.5 inch Pyrex glass pie dish, so the filling amounts are suited to a dish of this size.
