Traditional Pastiera Napoletana Recipe for Easter

Step 1

In a food processor combine the dry ingredients and pulse a few times.

Step 2

Add the cut-up butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse ground meal.

Step 3

Add the slightly beaten eggs and pulse until the dough starts coming together.

Step 4

On a lightly floured wooden board, turn out the dough and form into a smooth ball.

Step 5

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Step 6

Meanwhile

Step 7

Start making the filling by boiling the cooked wheat in milk together with the grated zest of 1 lemon; mix thoroughly until the mixture is very thick. Pour into a glass bowl and let it cool for a couple of hours.

Step 8

After two hours, mix the drained ricotta cheese, candied peels, sugar, orange blossom, cinnamon and four egg yolks until a thick cream will form.

Step 9

Add this mixture to the cooked wheat.

Step 10

Turn on the oven to 200°.

Step 11

Roll out the dough to fit your pie plate. The thickness should be about 1/8 of an inch. Carefully fold over and fit into your pie pan and make sure you cover also the edges. Put aside some crust.

Step 12

Pour the filling in.

Step 13

Decorate the surface with strips of dough and brush tops of dough strips with milk.

Step 14

Bake for about 1 hour and a half at 180° (your pastiera will be cooked when it will be dark [unburned] on the surface!).

Step 15

Turn off the oven and leave to cool in the pan.

Step 16

Take it out when cold and if wait 24 hours before eating.