Pastiera - Simply Signorina

Pastiera is a traditional dessert pie from the Campania region of Italy, typically served on Easter. It has a creamy filling made out of ricotta and grain, and it’s the perfect dessert for Pasqua or as breakfast the next day. See my recipe below so you can make Pastiera at home!

This recipe makes two small to medium pies of Pastiera.

Ingredients

For Tart (Pasta Frolla)

1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups of flour
Eight tablespoons of butter room temperature cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon of salt
One packet of vanillina or one tablespoon of vanilla extract.

For Filling

One can of pre-cooked wheat (8 oz.)
1.5 pounds of ricotta (drained)
2 1/4 cups of sugar
Three lemons for zest
One orange for zest
Seven eggs (5 whole and two yolks)
Three tablespoons of orange blossom water
Two tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of milk
One teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of candied citrus

For Egg Wash

1 Egg

Instructions for Pasta Frolla

Before making your tart (pasta frolla), leave your ricotta to drain using a colander, so it’s ready by the time you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, carefully mix the dry ingredients: the flour, salt, sugar, and vanillina.
In another smaller bowl, whisk together three whole eggs and butter (and the vanilla extract if using as a replacement for vanillina).

If preparing by hand, create a small well in the middle of the large bowl of dry ingredients and pour in the eggs to the center. Mix by using a wooden spoon. If preparing using a mixer with a dough hook, pour the whisked eggs into the bowl and turn on the mixer at the lowest speed. Gradually add the dry ingredients.

As the mixture begins to form into a dough, remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place it onto a floured working surface. Use your hands to knead the dough until smooth.
Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Instructions for Filling

In a large bowl, combine the five whole eggs, two yolks, milk, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, orange blossom water, and cinnamon. Whisk until eggs are beaten and mixed well.
Add the ricotta, wheat, and citron and continue to mix until even. The mixture should be very wet, having the consistency of a liquid.

Instructions for Pastiera

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
After 30 minutes, remove the pasta frolla dough from the refrigerator and cut in two. Each half will be used as two separate pies of Pastiera. Cut 3/4 of the halved dough to use as the tart while the remaining 1/4 will be used for the lattice strips. Let the dough sit until almost room temperature so that it will be easier to work.
On a lightly floured working surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the larger piece of dough to form a round sheet. The sheet should not be too thick.
Grease a 9-inch springform pan using non-stick spray or butter.
Fit the rolled-out sheet of dough in the pan and remove the excess dough from the rim of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, beat one egg for the egg wash.
Roll out the remaining piece of dough and use a pastry wheel to cut 3/4 inch wide strips and set aside.
After 10 minutes, take the tart out of the fridge and pour in the filling.
One by one, arrange the strips of dough on top of the Pastiera to form a diagonal lattice. Pinch the ends of the strips into the crust so that they remain in place. Be careful not to over-stretch the strips of dough when placing from one end of the pie to the other. Leave enough slack so that the strips sit on top of the filling and does not sink into it.

Brush the egg wash on top of the lattice strips.
Bake your Pastiera for an hour or until the crust turns a golden color. Once cooked, let the Pastiera cool on a rack.
Serve your Pastiera at room temperature. Ideally, make it a day in advance and remove from the refrigerator thirty minutes before you’re ready to serve.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. If you would like to see other recipes, please subscribe to www.simplysignorina.com and follow me on social media.

For more Easter recipes, check out my Holiday Recipes page.

Buona Pasqua!

La Signorina