Pastiera Napoletana - Pastiera di Grano - Easter Wheat Pie ___

Pastiera Napoletana - Pastiera di Grano - Easter Wheat Pie

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 2.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2.5 tablespoons Crisco
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 lemon, zest only

For the Filling:

  • 1.5 pounds ricotta
  • 0.25 pound hulled wheat (from soft wheat)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 0.5 cup citron or candied fruit (optional)
  • 0.25 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 0.25 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Get the Ingredients needed for this Recipe HERE

For the Crust:

  1. Arrange flour in a circle on your work surface. In the center, add the eggs, sugar, Crisco, salt and lemon zest.
  2. Mix together by hand until firm. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for later use.

For the Filling:

  1. The wheat should be rinsed with water and placed in a pot with enough cold water to cover it by 1 inch.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 - 40 minutes until tender.  Drain and let it cool for use in the recipe. Alternatively you can use an entire  jar of Grano Cotto. Available HERE!
  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs yolks only.  Set aside egg whites in a separate bowl for later. Add ricotta, wheat and sugar to beaten egg yolks and mix everything until well incorporated.  Add the vanilla, orange extract, cinnamon and citron and mix well.  Beat egg whites until fluffy and foamy and fold into the ricotta mixture.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9" x 1.5" baking pans with Crisco and set aside.
  4. Cut a piece of the dough, according to the size of the pan, and roll it out with a rolling pin.  The dough should not be too thick.  Lay dough into the greased baking pan. Fill the pan with the ricotta mixture. 
  5. For the top crust: cut another smaller piece of dough and roll very thin.  Cut this into strips and place across the top of pie, in a crisscross pattern. Press the ends together with the dough edge from pan.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.