Neapolitan Easter Pie

La storia di questo piatto

Born in the convents of Naples, where nuns once mixed heaven into earthenware, the Pastiera Napoletana carries centuries of Campanian soul — a sacred geometry of wheat and ricotta that belongs to no single table, but to every family that has ever waited for Easter Sunday with trembling patience.

Ingredienti

• 300 g Wheat berries (whole grains)
• 500 ml Whole milk
• 500 g Buffalo ricotta
• 5 piece Eggs
• 300 g Caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons Orange blossom water
• 100 g Candied citrus peel (citron, orange)
• 50 g Mixed peppercorns (optional)
• 500 g Shortcrust pastry
• 30 g Butter (for the mold)

Preparazione

1. Rinse the grain thoroughly under running water and soak it in cold water for a full 12 hours—this is a step you absolutely cannot skip, because this is what softens the kernels so they will cook properly. After this rest period, drain it and cook it slowly in milk over low heat for 40 to 50 minutes: it should become tender to the bite and the milk should almost disappear, completely absorbed by the grain. Stir from time to time so it doesn't stick to the bottom, and if needed, loosen it with a splash of hot milk.
2. Press the ricotta through a fine sieve, perhaps helping yourself along with the back of a spoon: you will see it become smooth and velvety, without any lumps, and this is the secret to a cream that melts on your tongue. Fold it gently into the sugar using broad sweeping motions, then add the eggs one at a time, waiting for each one to be fully absorbed before adding the next. Finally pour in the orange blossom water and stir unhurriedly: the fragrance that rises up already tells you the cream is ready.
3. Take the cooked grain, still warm but not piping hot, and fold it into the ricotta cream together with the finely minced candied fruits. Mix with care, moving from bottom to top, as if you were gently gathering the ingredients together without deflating the cream: it should become a uniform mixture where every spoonful contains a little of everything.
4. Butter the 26-centimeter mold thoroughly, making sure not to forget the corners, then roll out the shortbread dough with a rolling pin and line the bottom and sides, leaving a border about one centimeter high that will hold up well during baking. Pour in the ricotta and grain filling and level it with the back of a spoon, so it bakes evenly.
5. Cut strips of shortbread dough and weave them over the filling to form the classic lattice pattern, or create a simpler grid if you prefer: the important thing is that air can circulate while it bakes. Press the edges gently to seal the tart well, then brush the entire surface with egg yolk: this is what will give it that beautiful golden shine so appetizing once it comes out of the oven.
6. Bake at 180°C in an oven that is already well heated for 50 to 60 minutes: the surface should turn golden and fragrant, and when you touch the center gently the filling should feel firm, no longer jiggling. Once removed from the oven, be patient and let it cool completely before slicing: this is how the flavors settle and the tart cuts into neat slices without crumbling.