Pastiera, a Traditional Italian Easter Dessert

Pastiera, a Traditional Italian Easter Dessert

In southern Italy, Easter means only one thing food-wise—a delicious and fragrant pastiera, a sweet pie made with a decorative lattice top

By Aude Lagorce in the Wall Street Journal

ITALIANS TAKE their traditions seriously, with unwritten yet immutable rules governing all aspects of each holiday celebration. But of all the holidays, it is Easter that is celebrated with perhaps the most fastidiousness. And in southern Italy, Easter means only one thing, food-wise: pastiera. This wheat and ricotta pie flavored with orange blossom water and decorated with a lattice top is the only acceptable dessert at this time of year.

There are as many pastiera recipes as there are Italian families, but at heart it’s a simple concoction: sweet shortcrust pastry filled with a mixture of eggs, sugar, ricotta and wheat. Some add candied fruit, while others swear by the inclusion of confectioner’s cream. I have stuck with the traditional version prevalent in my husband’s Neapolitan family—though even they still argue about what constitutes the ultimate pastiera.

I once witnessed the competition unleashed by the dessert when I walked into the kitchen of Zia Anna, the matriarch of my adoptive Italian family, to find half a dozen pastieras on the counter. Clad in her customary black dress and white apron, the 70-year-old prodded each pie disdainfully then dived into the first one before wordlessly passing the fork to her sister. They dipped in and out, scrunching their faces at each spoonful, and the verdicts came fast and furious: “Too sweet,” “too eggy,” “soggy bottom.” None of the pies brought by daughters-in-law and other relatives as a sign of respect made it to the dinner table.

I swore never to try to woo the aunts with my baking, but at home in London, I take great pleasure in baking this dessert once a year, usually starting a few days before Easter so the flavors can develop. The result is a moreish cheesecake, less sweet and dense than its American counterpart, with a soft bite. If you can’t find wheat berries you can use farro or barley—but do seek out the orange flower water, as it is essential to the pie’s personality.

NEAPOLITANA PASTIERA //

Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 4-5 hours

Serves: 8

Ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry (320g minimum)

150g wheat berries (or pearl barley or farro)

1 L whole milk (710 mL, plus extra if required)

Zest of one unwaxed lemon

350g ricotta

150g caster sugar

2 large eggs and 2 egg yolks

1 heaped tsp cinnamon

5 mL orange flower water

Butter

1. To cook the wheat (can be done the day before): Put the wheat berries and lemon zest in a saucepan with 710 mL of milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 3-4 hours, adding more milk as necessary, until the wheat is soft. (If you are using barley or farro instead, bear in mind they will take much less time to cook, and adjust quantity of milk according to instructions on the packet.) Leave to cool.

2. Make the filling: Combine the ricotta, sugar, eggs (including the extra yolks), cinnamon and orange flower water in a bowl. Stir in the cooled wheat berries.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out two thirds of your dough. Transfer to a buttered 24 cm pie dish.

5. Roll out the rest of your dough and cut into 2.5 cm wide strips.

6. Arrange the strips across the pie, placing them alternately at diagonals so that they form a lattice.

7. Bake for an hour at 190°C. Serve at room temperature.