Italian cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Pastiera Napoletana

Neapolitan Easter pie with cooked wheat berries, ricotta and orange blossom water in a shortcrust shell.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 300 g flour
• 150 g cold butter
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150 g wheat berries
• 250 ml whole milk
• 500 g ricotta
• 200 g sugar
• 80 g candied orange peel
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Soak the wheat berries overnight in plenty of water, drain the next day and cook with the milk, 1 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt over low heat for 45 min into a thick paste; let cool.
2. Mix flour, powdered sugar and salt, work in the cold butter, add one egg and quickly knead into a shortcrust dough; chill for 45 min.
3. Beat the ricotta with the remaining sugar until smooth, then fold in the two remaining eggs, the finely chopped candied orange peel, the orange blossom water and the cinnamon.
4. Fold in the cooled wheat paste until a smooth, thick filling forms that falls heavily off the spoon.
5. Roll out two-thirds of the dough to line a buttered 26 cm springform pan, add the filling and lay a lattice of seven strips from the remaining dough on top.
6. Bake at 170°C for 60–70 min until the filling is set and the top is deep golden brown, let the pie rest overnight and only then serve in slices.