The Traditional Neapolitan Pastiera For Easter

Traditional Neapolitan Pastiera

2016-02-17 23:00:22

Serves 10

A cake made with ricotta cheese, wheat and candied fruit to enjoy at Easter. Allow at least 2 days for completing.

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Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

2 hr

Total Time

3 hr

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

2 hr

Total Time

3 hr

494 calories

83 g

95 g

13 g

13 g

7 g

178 g

179 g

45 g

0 g

4 g

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

178g

Servings

10

Amount Per Serving

Calories 494

Calories from Fat 113

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 13g

20%

Saturated Fat 7g

36%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 95mg

32%

Sodium 179mg

7%

Total Carbohydrates 83g

28%

Dietary Fiber 2g

7%

Sugars 45g

Protein 13g

Vitamin A

9%

Vitamin C

5%

Calcium

8%

Iron

5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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For the pastry

1. 2 cups of all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 stick of butter at room temperature
3. 1/2 cup of sugar
4. Half of a lemon rind
5. A pinch of baking powder
6. 2 eggs

For cream ricotta filling

1. 2 cups of cottage cheese
2. 1 1/2 cups of sugar
3. 1/2 eggs
4. 1 egg yolk
5. 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
6. 1 teaspoon of orange flower water
7. A few drops of vanilla extract
8. 1/4 cup of mixed candied fruit

For the wheat filling

1. 8 oz of cooked wheat grain (we suggest Chirico)
2. 1/2 cup of fresh whole milk
3. 1/4 stick of butter
4. Orange peel
5. Zest of one lemon

Notes

1. Ricotta must be drained and marinated with sugar for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Don't leave out the candies! They add moisture to the filling
3. For the best result, the pastry must be prepared and left to sit in the fridge for 12 - 24 hours before baking.

By Giorgia Riccardi

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calories

494

fat

13g

protein

13g

carbs

83g

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2- Lay out the dough on a pastry board and knead quickly, adding up to another .5 oz of flour if necessary. Roll into a ball, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (the longer the better, up to 24 hours).

3- Still the day before, mix the drained ricotta with the sugar, cover with foil and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours along with your pastry dough.

4- The next day, you are ready for baking. Start preparing the wheat. Put the wheat, milk, butter and whole citrus peel in a pot. Cook over very low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring constantly.

5- Turn off the heat, remove the citrus peel, and mince until smooth. Leave the mixture in the pot and let cool.

6- In the meantime, take the ricotta out the fridge and pass it through a sieve to remove any lumps. This is a tedious process, but necessary to obtain a smooth cream.

7- Stir the cinnamon, vanilla and orange flower water into the ricotta. After, add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, making sure each one is fully absorbed.

8- Stir in the cooked wheat, now chilled, in with the ricotta cream and mix well.

9- Chop the candied fruit and mix them into the cream. Your filling is now ready. Place in the refrigerator covered with foil.

10- Prepare the pie tin you will cook your pastiera in (recommended 1/4 inch in height). Grease and flour it well. Take the pastry dough from the fridge and divide into sections: the base of the cake and some smaller strips to place on top.

11- Spread the dough for the base onto your well-floured pie tin. Line from top to bottom, then remove the excess dough with a rolling pin. Use a fork to create some lines of small holes, then place in the fridge.

12- In the meantime, cut the strips of pastry dough for the top. Stretch the remaining dough on a floured surface and cut the strips with a pastry wheel, about 6-8 pieces.

13- Take the pie tin from the fridge, pour in the cream filling and decorate with strips. Put the pastiera in the fridge for 1-2 hours to prevent it from expanding up too much during baking.

14. Bake in preheated oven at 300° for about an 1 hour and 45 minutes. Starting at the one hour mark, start to monitor cooking progress. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, the pastiera should have reached a golden color. If the color is too light, towards the end you can raise the temperature to 350 degrees to brown the surface. Do the toothpick test to make sure it’s cooked thoroughly.

15- When finished, leave the pastiera in the oven with the heat turned off and the door open for 30 minutes. Finally, let the pastiera set for a day or so before serving. Do not put it in the fridge.

16- After all your hard work, sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve and enjoy!