Pastiera Napoletana
A classic Neapolitan Easter tart made of sweet pastry enclosing a rich, fragrant filling of cooked wheat berries, sheep's ricotta, candied peel, and orange blossom water.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 70 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Servings
- 10
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Equipment
- •28 cm fluted pastiera tin
- •Rolling pin
- •Medium saucepan
- •Fine mesh sieve
- •Large mixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 9 g
- calories
- 420 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the flour and cold cubed butter together in a bowl until fine crumbs form.
- 2
Mix in 120 g sugar, one egg, and a pinch of salt until a smooth dough forms, then chill for an hour.
- 3
Simmer the grano cotto with milk, 15 g butter, and lemon zest in a saucepan until thick and creamy.
- 4
Leave the cooked wheat mixture to cool completely to room temperature.
- 5
Sieve the drained ricotta into a large bowl and whisk with the remaining sugar until silky smooth.
- 6
Whisk three whole eggs and the extra egg yolk into the sweetened ricotta until completely incorporated.
- 7
Stir the cooled wheat mixture, candied citrus peel, orange blossom water, and cinnamon into the ricotta cream.
- 8
Roll two-thirds of the chilled dough on a floured worktop and line a greased 28 cm tart tin.
- 9
Pour the creamy wheat filling into the pastry shell, levelling the surface gently.
- 10
Roll the remaining pastry into thin strips and arrange seven crossing strips in a lattice pattern on top.
- 11
Bake at 170°C for 65 to 70 minutes until golden amber and set with a slight centre wobble.
- 12
Cool completely in the tin and rest for at least 24 hours before slicing and dusting with icing sugar.
Chef's tips
Always bake pastiera at least one to two days before serving to allow the floral citrus perfumes to infuse fully. Draining the sheep's ricotta overnight is essential to avoid a soggy pastry base.
Ingredient substitutions
- grano cotto (cooked wheat berries) → cooked pearl barley or spelt berries if pre-cooked wheat is unavailable
- ricotta di pecora (sheep's milk ricotta) → cow's milk ricotta, though the filling flavour will be milder
- unsalted butter → traditional strutto (pork lard) in the pastry for extra flakiness
Storage
Store covered at room temperature in a cool, dry cupboard for up to four days, or refrigerate in very warm weather.
Reheating
Do not reheat pastiera, as it is traditionally and best enjoyed entirely at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Slicing the tart on the day of baking before the delicate custard has set and infused.
- •Using wet, undrained ricotta which makes the filling watery and softens the base.
- •Adding too much orange blossom water, which can overpower the citrus peel.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Pastiera Napoletana?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Campania
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
