Pastiera Napoletana Italian Easter Grain Pie Recipes

PASTIERA NAPOLETANA RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine.
• Add the cubed butter and mix till coarse crumbs form.
• Mix in the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest until it forms a smooth ball. (takes less than a minute).
• Wrap the dough in cling wrap and allow to chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile spoon the jar of the cooked wheat in a medium sized stock pot.
• Add in the milk, vanilla bean and lemon zest.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes or until the mixture thickens and has absorbed most of the liquids.
• Stir frequently making sure to keep an eye on it so the wheat berries do not stick to the pot and burn.
• Scrap out the any remaining seeds from the vanilla bean. Stir them back into the cooked wheat mixture and set aside to cool.
• While the mixture cools, grease a 25cm round tart tin with a removable bottom and set aside. (I used a 25cm (10 inch) deep quiche pan with removable bottom however any 10 inch pie dish would also work).
• Cut a quarter of the dough off, reserving it for the lattice top.
• Roll out the remaining dough to about 1/8 inch thick and line the tart tin with the rolled dough.
• Trim off any excess dough with a knife.
• In a medium sized bowl mix together the ricotta, the 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks until light and fluffy.
• Mix in the powdered sugar (icing sugar), orange blossom water, orange and lemon zests until combined.
• Stir in the cooled wheat mixture.
• In a separate bowl beat the two remaining egg whites just until stiff peaks form and then softly fold them into the ricotta mixture.
• Pour the ricotta mixture into the prepared pie.
• Roll out the remaining pastry dough and cut out 9 strips of dough slightly longer than the pie tin. (about 1 inch wide)
• Place the strips of dough over the filling in a criss-cross pattern and trim off any excess.
• Brush the strips of dough with milk and bake the pie in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 60 minutes or until a lovely golden brown.
• Allow the ricotta pie to cool completely before refrigerating then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
• This ricotta pie actually tastes better the day after it's baked making it a great make ahead dessert.

PASTIERA NAPOLETANA: ITALIAN EASTER GRAIN PIE

Steps:

• Place the pre-cooked wheat berries (grano cotto) in a small saucepan.
• Add the milk, butter, and lemon peel.
• Over medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer and stir frequently for 10-15 minutes until most of the milk is absorbed and the mixture reassembles a creamy oatmeal-like mixture.
• Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to come to room temperature.
• Then, refrigerate for up to 24 hours before using the following day.
• A few hours before you plan on mixing the ingredients to make the ricotta cheese filling, place the fresh ricotta in a strainer lined with cheesecloth. This will help remove any excess moisture from the cheese.
• While waiting, prepare the citrus sugar by rubbing together the lemon and orange zest with the granulated sugar. Set aside for now.
• When you are ready to combine the ingredients, place the ricotta in a mesh strainer. Then, press the ricotta through the holes into a medium bowl with the back of a spoon.
• Add the citrus sugar and with a fork, mix everything together until well blended. Taste and adjust to personnel sweetness.
• Next, in a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks together before adding them to the ricotta mixture. With a fork, combine lightly together.
• Finally, add the pure vanilla extract, orange blossom water, ground cinnamon (optional), and combine. Do not overbeat.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before using the following day.
• Cut ½ cup of cold unsalted butter into 18 small pieces and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
• In a food processor combine the dry ingredients and pulse a few times.
• Add the cut-up butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse ground meal.
• Add the slightly beaten eggs and pulse until the dough comes together.
• Turn out the dough on a lightly floured wooden board and form it into a smooth disc by pressing the dough together.
• Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimal time of 30 minutes before using it.
• Step by step photos can be found in the article.
• When you are ready, grease a 10-inch (25 cm) pie plate that is 2 inches (5 cm) deep. You can also use a springform pan.
• Remove a third of the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and set it aside for now. This will become the lattice top.
• With a rolling pin, stretch out two-thirds of the chilled pasta frolla dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to form a 12-inch round about ⅜-inch (1 cm) thick.
• Ease the dough into the 10-inch (25 cm) greased pie plate, being sure to press it into the bottom and up the sides to remove any air bubbles.
• Trim the excess dough even with the rim of the pan. Chill it for 1 hour.
• Combine the trimmed pastry dough scraps with the remaining dough (one-third). Roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to form a 10-inch round about ⅜-inch (1 cm) thick.
• With a fluted pastry wheel, cut 7 long strips each about one inch wide. These lattice strips will create the criss-cross diamond pattern on our traditional Easter cake. Chill them for at least 1 hour until needed.
• Preheat your oven to 325° F (165 °C). Place the oven rack in the center of the oven.
• Prepare a simple egg wash for brushing the dough by whisking together one whole egg with a teaspoon of milk in a small bowl. Set this aside until you are ready to use it.
• Remove the lemon peel from the grain mixture. Then, combine the ricotta and grain mixture in a large mixing bowl.
• If using, add 1 tablespoon of chopped candied orange peel.
• Use a hand-held blender and pulse gently 5-7 times to help blend the mixture. This will create a smoother pastiera filling.
• Remove the pastry shell from the refrigerator and pour this mixture into the prepared crust.
• Remove the pastry strips from the refrigerator.
• Brush each strip with the egg wash before placing it on the top of the ricotta filling. Brush the inside rim of the dough in the tart pan as well.
• Place four strips gently on the filling and equally distanced from each other. This will form the bottom layer of the lattice top.
• Then, place one strip across the center of the pie, touching the ends of the outer strips previously placed on the filling. Then, place two more strips gently on the filling parallel to the center, creating a diamond-shaped lattice pattern.
• Trim the excess dough from the strips. Fold over the dough of the bottom pastry crust over the top strips of dough, gently pressing it down.
• Bake pastiera in a preheated oven for about 80-90 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is firm to the touch but is still jiggly. If you find that your pastiera is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil during baking to prevent it from burning.
• Once pastiera is baked, turn off the oven and leave the oven door ajar. Leave the pastiera in the oven for about 15 minutes, Then, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
• Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and store in a cool dry place, at room temperature, for at least 2 days before serving.
• When you are ready to serve pastiera, lightly dust with powdered sugar. Slice, serve and enjoy!

EASTER GRAIN PIE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Pour in wheat and allow to boil 40 minutes. As wheat is cooking, beat eggs in a large bowl while gradually adding 1 cup sugar to eggs. Mix in fruit, ricotta, vanilla extract, cinnamon, lemon rind, and orange rind.
• When wheat is ready, drain in a colander and rinse with warm water. Place 3/4 cup of cooked wheat in a small bowl, and mix in shortening and salt. Stir until shortening is melted, then stir wheat mixture into ricotta mixture along with the rest of the cooked wheat berries.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Line two 9 inch pie pans with pastry. Cut remaining pastry into strips for tops of pies. Spoon half of filling into each pan. Cover with pastry strips to form lattice tops. Crimp edges.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle each pie with 1 tablespoon sugar and allow to cool at room temperature. Chill overnight before serving. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.