Discovering Pastiera: A Timeless Easter Delight
Pastiera is a dessert that truly evolves over time, revealing a harmonious blend of flavors and delightful textures. I’m grateful to my mother for her dedication to this recipe; now, I can’t envision Easter without it.
As Easter Sunday approaches, I dedicated the past weekend to my annual quest for grano cotto—cooked grain. While it may sound unusual, this sticky mass of soft wheat is the heart and soul of pastiera. Without it, our family’s Easter celebration would feel incomplete. Originating from Campania in Italy—where my father’s family hails from—making pastiera has always been a cherished way to connect with my roots.
I must confess that as a child, I wasn’t particularly fond of pastiera. The thought of a pie filled with wheat and ricotta didn’t entice me at all. Why couldn’t my mom just whip up one of those adorable bunny cakes adorned with green coconut grass and cherry noses? My youthful taste buds were often challenged by unique Italian combinations during holidays when all I craved were Peeps and chocolate bunnies. However, as I’ve matured, I’ve come to appreciate pastiera’s exquisite balance of flavors and textures—a true culinary marvel that has become an essential part of our Easter traditions.
What Grain Is Used in Pastiera?
Like many Italian dishes, there are countless variations in ingredients from one household to another (and let’s be honest—your version is probably the best). Nonetheless, grano cotto remains the cornerstone ingredient for authentic pastiera. While soft wheat is most commonly used, some families opt for corn or barley instead. In Southern Italian supermarkets, you can find cans labeled “per pastiera,” which contain ready-to-use cooked grains.
In New York City and its suburbs years ago, these cans were more readily available; however, as Italian neighborhoods have diminished over time, finding them has become increasingly challenging. If you manage to locate canned grano cotto at your local specialty store or deli—it’s worth the effort! Cooking your own wheat can be quite labor-intensive: soft wheat requires soaking for about 24 hours while hard wheat needs three days with daily water changes before cooking until tender.
Other Essential Ingredients
Fresh ricotta cheese plays another crucial role in this dish; whether made from cow’s milk or more traditionally sheep or buffalo milk found in Campania makes no difference—the flavor remains divine! Orange flower water adds an aromatic touch but if unavailable fresh orange zest serves as an excellent substitute. The remaining ingredients are entirely up to personal preference; some cooks skip candied fruits altogether while others include various combinations like orange peel or citron zest—and traditional candied squash (zucca candida) which can be hard to find outside Italy.
Locating Grano Cotto
I found my grano cotto at Arthur Avenue Retail Market in the Bronx; DiPalo Dairy in Manhattan’s Little Italy also stocks it occasionally (always call ahead!). If you can’t source canned grains locally barley works well as an alternative—but ensure it’s cooked until very soft!
If you’re inclined towards making your own cooked grain use soft wheat typically available at health food stores: soak it overnight then cook on low heat until pale and tender—about two hours should do! Allow cooling completely before mixing into your filling mixture—you want everything combined smoothly without separating any gooey bits!
Choosing Your Baking Dish
For baking this delightful treat I prefer using a 9 x 2-inch layer cake pan because it yields thick wedges perfect for indulging into creamy layers within each slice! You could also opt for deep-dish pie plates or springform pans if desired but avoid larger pans unless you’re okay sacrificing depth!
Crafting Pastry Dough
Feel free to use any sweet pastry dough recipe you love—I recommend mine since it’s generous enough allowing flexibility based on pan size plus extra dough comes handy when creating mini crostate cookies later on!
Family food traditions thrive through persistence & passion—I hope you’ll cherish yours every year just like we do ours! Buona Pasqua!
Pastiera Recipe (Ricotta & Cooked Grains Cake)
Ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Zest from one lemon or small orange
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (cold), cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- Ice water drops if needed
Instructions:
In a saucepan combine cooked grain with milk sugar lemon zest cinnamon over low heat stirring frequently until creamy resembling oatmeal consistency then cool completely. On floured surface roll out two-thirds pasta frolla into circle place inside greased deep dish pie plate trim excess dough chill while preparing filling. Preheat oven at350°F prepare ricotta whisk eggs vanilla add cooled grain mixture along optional fruits mix thoroughly pour into chilled shell arrange lattice strips atop seal edges bake till golden brown set aside cool before slicing serve chilled/enjoyed warm!
Pasta Frolla Recipe
Ingredients:
Combine flour sugar salt baking powder citrus zest pulse till mixed add cold cubed butter process till sandy consistency form wet mixture blend together wrap chill firm before rolling out!