Neapolitan Pastiera

By studying the different eating habits of the various areas of Italy, we realize how heterogeneous and varied the cuisine is. If in Northern Italy, at Easter, it is customary to crown the Easter lunch with a good sweet dove, going further south and arriving in beautiful Naples, the colomba gives way to the pastiera: it is a sweet tart stuffed with a cream based on cooked wheat, ricotta, candied fruit and eggs.

Video of the Recipe

Problems with playing the video? Reload the video from youtube.

Identity Card of the Recipe

• 263 KCal Calories per serving

• Ingrediants

  For the shortcrust pastry

  • 140 g of butter
  • grated rind of untreated oranges
  • 5 g of baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • About 250-300 g of white flour type 00
  • 100 g of potato starch
  • 60 g (1 medium) of eggs
  • 60 g (3 medium) of egg yolks

  For the filling

  • 1 tablespoon of orange flower water
  • 160 g (4 medium) of egg white
  • 80 g (4 medium) of egg yolks
  • 50 g of orange or lemon peel
  • 300 g of fresh ricotta
  • 250 g of cooked wheat
  • 200 g of sugar
  • grated rind of untreated lemon
  • 250 ml of milk
  • 1 pinch of salt

  Materials Needed

  • Pastry board
  • Rolling pin
  • Zig zag wheel
  • Small saucepan
  • Wooden ladles
  • Spacious bowls
  • Electric hand mixer
  • Spatula leccapentole

  Preparation

  1. Prepare the light shortcrust pastry by mixing 140 g of butter, 80 g of fructose and the grated zest of an orange with cream. Now add 3 egg yolks and a whole egg (one at a time), a pinch of salt, 5 g of baking powder, 100 g of potato starch and enough flour to obtain a smooth mixture (about 250-300 g) Leave the shortcrust pastry to rest for a few hours.
  2. Prepare the first part of the cream to fill the tart: in a saucepan, pour the milk, the grated rind of a lemon, the sugar and the cooked wheat. Continue cooking over low heat for about 10 minutes, so that a nice cream is formed. Allow to cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt. Line a pan with a diameter of 28 cm with ¾ of the shortcrust pastry: the remaining dough will be used for the covering.
  4. When the wheat cream is cold, add the ricotta, the candied fruit cut into small pieces, the orange flower water and the egg yolks. Finally, slowly add the egg whites until stiff.
  5. Gently pour the cream into the pan, decorate with the shortcrust pastry strips until a diamond pattern is formed.
  6. Put in the oven at 180 ° C for 45 minutes.

  Did you know that
  The ideal would be to prepare the pastiera in time, at least 24 hours before serving it on the table: in this way, the ingredients will blend perfectly and the result will be excellent.

  Alice's comment - PersonalCooker

  This is the pastiera suggested by My-personaltrainerTv. I hope I have been up to par for the preparation of this dessert, and above all I hope that my Neapolitan friends will not pull my ears. Having said that, I just have to wish you all a happy Easter.

  Nutritional values ​​and Health Comment on the recipe

  The Neapolitan pastiera is a dessert of the Neapolitan tradition and, for sure, it is not a light or low-calorie dessert. The pastiera contains high percentages of fats, most of which saturated (accompanied by the cholesterol of the yolk) and also of simple sugars (sucrose), making it totally unsuitable for consumption in case of alterations in the lipid or carbohydrate metabolism; the intake of dietary fiber is not the best. The Neapolitan pastiera is a highly caloric dessert that should be consumed in portions not exceeding 30-40g, or 80-105kcal.