Neapolitan pastiera recipe, how to prepare it, ingredients and history
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We inaugurate the “ Cooking in the Neapolitan Style ” column with a typical Easter recipe, given the imminence of the event.
Pastiera , as we were saying, is a Neapolitan tradition at Easter and, at the same time, it also ushers in the spring season with its unmistakable floral fragrance. The staple of pastiera is natural wheat, that is, simply "soaked," along with fresh eggs, milk, ricotta, and candied fruit among the main ingredients.
The goodness of this dessert so tasty brought the Neapolitans to prepare it not only for Easter, but also in the other months of the year. The wheat is, in fact, available all year round and also the regional borders.
The history of Pastiera
The history of Neapolitan pastiera, one of Italy's most famous and beloved desserts, is shrouded in mystery and legend . It's said that the origins of this dessert date back to Roman or perhaps even Greek times, when the siren Parthenope chose the Gulf of Naples as her home and the people offered her seven gifts, which she then combined to create this unique dessert.
But the ancestors of the Neapolitan pastiera are rather uncertain and the dessert we know today was probably invented much later, in the 16th century, by an unknown nun from the convent of San Gregorio Armeno.
Ritual buns and the Christianized symbolism of pastiera
The priestesses of Ceres carried the egg, a symbol of nascent life, in procession to celebrate the return of spring. This symbol later became "rebirth" and Resurrection with Christianity. The wheat or spelt, mixed with the soft ricotta cream, may instead derive from the spelt bread used in Roman weddings.
The Christianized symbolism of ingredients such as eggs, ricotta, and wheat, combined with spices from Asia and the scent of orange blossoms from the convent garden, made pastiera a perfect dessert for celebrating Easter and spring.
The invention of the Neapolitan pastiera in the XNUMXth century
The nuns of the convent of San Gregorio Armeno were true masters of making pastiera and gave them as gifts to the city's aristocratic families. It is said that Queen Maria Theresa of Austria , wife of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon, was also a great pastiera enthusiast.
In any case, the Neapolitan pastiera has become one of the symbols of Neapolitan cuisine and of the Italian culinary heritage. Its preparation requires a lot of care and patience, but the final result is a rich and tasty dessert, which represents the perfect union between tradition and innovation.
Ingredients
The ingredients for the basic pastry are: flour (600g), sugar (300g), butter (300g), egg yolks (6), a small vial of vanilla. These must be worked and mixed just like the typical and well-known shortcrust pastry.
The ingredients for the filling are: wheat (which can be found in the supermarket ready-made in special jars, 500g), milk (400ml), fresh ricotta (500g), whole eggs (6), two vials of orange blossom essence, sugar (450g), a knob of butter or lard, various candied fruit including citron, orange peel and cocozzata 1 11 (150g) and, finally, icing sugar.
To make the dough , arrange the flour in a mound. Add the sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and egg yolks one at a time, continuing to work the dough with your hands for about 10 minutes until smooth and even. Let it rest in a covered bowl.
To make the filling , cook the wheat with the milk and a knob of butter or lard over low heat. Turn off the heat when it comes to a boil and let it cool. Soften the fresh ricotta with a hand whisk and mix it with the sugar, the yolks of 6 eggs (one at a time), the orange blossom essence, and the candied fruit. Finally, beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture, stirring from the bottom up. Add the wheat.
Neapolitan tradition dictates that the pastiera should be 5-6 cm high to ensure that it retains its moisture and fragrance after cooking . 2 With these quantities, you will therefore need to use a baking pan of approximately 27-28 cm.
Butter and flour the pan and line the base and sides with 2/3 of the pastry. Prick the pastry with a fork and then pour in the filling. Cover the top with a grid of pastry strips, crisscrossed and cut with a zigzag tool.
Place in a preheated oven and leave to cook for approximately 60 minutes at 180° 4 . Once cooked, leave the cake to rest for an hour 5.
When it has cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar.
People often try to "soften" this recipe by adding cream or blending part of the wheat, but these two simple steps would end up altering the typical nature of Neapolitan pastiera.
Note
1 - Cocozzata is a term that indicates candied pumpkin, that is, first deprived of filaments and seeds, subsequently chopped and then boiled, and finally dipped in sugar dissolved in a pan. It is available ready-made at the supermarket and often mixed with cedar and orange peel for the preparation of pastiera and struffoli.
2 - The pastiera can also be consumed up to 4-5 days from its preparation. Indeed, the following days will be even more fragrant!
3 - The strips must be about 2 cm thick, while the distance between them must be about 3 cm.
4 - If you have respected the height* of the recipe will be the 60 minutes, if instead you find it lower cook for about 40-45 minutes.
5 - The pastiera should be enjoyed at room temperature.
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