The pastiera is a typical Neapolitan dessert, traditionally prepared for Easter. It is a rich and fragrant cake, with a filling of ricotta cream, cooked wheat and candied fruit, wrapped in a crisp shortcrust pastry. Its origin dates back to ancient Rome, but it became a Neapolitan specialty over the centuries.
Boil the wheat in plenty of water for about an hour, then drain it and return it to the heat with the milk, the lemon peel (whole), a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, 50 g of sugar and cook over moderate heat until the liquid is completely reduced
Then let it cool, removing the lemon peel
For the dough: knead the flour with the sugar, the lard, 4 egg yolks and a pinch of salt (if it is too dry, add one whole egg)
Work it just enough and let it rest in a cool place
For the filling: combine the wheat with the ricotta passed through a sieve, the sugar, the grated lemon zest, the citron cut into small cubes, a pinch of cinnamon and the orange blossom water; bind with the egg yolks and four egg whites beaten to stiff peaks
Roll out the dough to a thickness of a few millimetres and cut out a disc of about 30 cm
in diameter and use it to line a buttered cake pan; pour the filling into the pan and finish by laying strips on the surface in a lattice pattern
Bake the pastiera in a well-heated oven for about 90 minutes and then
Blender
Cake pan
Potato peeler
Italy, Campania
| Energy (kcal) | 212.85 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 29.45 |
| of which Sugars (g) | 18.89 |
| Fat (g) | 8.29 |
| of which Saturates (g) | 4.13 |
| Protein (g) | 6.42 |
| Fiber (g) | 0.98 |
| Sale (g) | 0.06 |
