I am writing this post from Zurich, Switzerland since I was fortunate enough to be able to take two weeks off of work and travel home to see my family. Although I'm spending most of my time here with my parents, I also had the opportunity to go visit my grandparents in Rome for a few days. The last time I went to Rome was about a year ago, so being able to reconnect with my grandparents was long overdue. My dad accompanied me on the short trip, and we stayed at his mom's house which is also the house that he grew up in.
The first night, my grandma prepared an abundant meal for us, as well as my uncle, cousin, and dad's best friend who came to say hi. My grandma, or nonna in Italian, is an amazing cook and loves to prepare food for everyone. She always makes too much, but that's a good thing since we have leftovers for days. For dessert, nonna surprised my dad with his favorite childhood birthday cake, since his birthday was just a few weeks ago. I had never tried it myself, but it's their family tradition to order that specific cake from a well-known bakery called Marinari. Layers of chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream, and a subtle hint of hazelnut create a delicate and delicious birthday cake. However, this post isn't about that cake-- I'm here to write about one of MY favorite cakes.
The first night, my grandma prepared an abundant meal for us, as well as my uncle, cousin, and dad's best friend who came to say hi. My grandma, or nonna in Italian, is an amazing cook and loves to prepare food for everyone. She always makes too much, but that's a good thing since we have leftovers for days. For dessert, nonna surprised my dad with his favorite childhood birthday cake, since his birthday was just a few weeks ago. I had never tried it myself, but it's their family tradition to order that specific cake from a well-known bakery called Marinari. Layers of chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream, and a subtle hint of hazelnut create a delicate and delicious birthday cake. However, this post isn't about that cake-- I'm here to write about one of MY favorite cakes.
Once dinner was over and everyone left, nonna pulled out a dessert she had made especially for me. In Italy, there is a traditional Easter pie that my nonna has pretty much mastered-- La Pastiera Napoletana. As its name suggests, this dessert originates from Naples. Now, I've talked about this Easter pie for years to some of my friends, and I even made it at one point during my senior year of college. Because of its flavor combinations and creamy texture, it really is one of my favorite cakes (pies?). Whatever it is classified under, it's delicious. The thing that makes it kind of particular is that the recipe calls for a cooked grain-- grano cotto-- that is added to a sweet mixture of ricotta, sugar, and orange blossom water, milk, and eggs. This grain is a type of wheat that is sold in Italy, already cooked. I haven't found this ingredient in the States, but recipes I've looked at substitute it with cooked farro.
This is the classic recipe for la Pastiera Napoletana. Optional additions to the batter include candied dried fruits, or (my favorite) chocolate chips. The tart crust recipe is my personal go-to recipe for all tarts. One thing that nonna is particular about, is the orange component of the dessert. Instead of using orange blossom water (which is perfectly fine), she uses orange peel, which in her words are not shiny (meaning organic oranges), and boils them in a small amount of water for 10 minutes. Once the water is boiled and reduced, she uses two teaspoons of it for the mixture. Either way, the orange component really helps make this dessert delicious!
La Pastiera Napoletana
Yield: 2 9-inch round pies
Tart Crust:
1 cup (8 oz) Butter, unsalted
1/2 + 1/3 cups (6 oz) Sugar, granulated
1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
1/2 t Salt
2 + 1/2 cups (12 oz) Flour, all-purpose or pastry
Filling:
*If using farro, place 250 g of farro in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let soak for 3 days, changing the water daily. On the third day, drain the farro, place in a pot and cover it with cold water again. Place the pot over high heat, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat allowing the grain to simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the farro.
1/2 cup Milk
1 oz Butter
1 T Lemon Zest
250 g Grano cotto (cooked wheat or farro)
700 g Ricotta
3 cups Sugar, granulated
5 Eggs + 2 Egg Yolks
1 t Vanilla extract
1/2 t Orange blossom water (or 2 t if using the orange peel in boiled water process)
1 T Cinnamon
1/2 cup of any additional ingredients (candied dried fruit, chocolate chips)
1 Egg + 1 T Water for the egg wash
This is the classic recipe for la Pastiera Napoletana. Optional additions to the batter include candied dried fruits, or (my favorite) chocolate chips. The tart crust recipe is my personal go-to recipe for all tarts. One thing that nonna is particular about, is the orange component of the dessert. Instead of using orange blossom water (which is perfectly fine), she uses orange peel, which in her words are not shiny (meaning organic oranges), and boils them in a small amount of water for 10 minutes. Once the water is boiled and reduced, she uses two teaspoons of it for the mixture. Either way, the orange component really helps make this dessert delicious!
La Pastiera Napoletana
Yield: 2 9-inch round pies
Tart Crust:
1 cup (8 oz) Butter, unsalted
1/2 + 1/3 cups (6 oz) Sugar, granulated
1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
1/2 t Salt
2 + 1/2 cups (12 oz) Flour, all-purpose or pastry
- Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and smooth.
- Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the salt and flour and mix just until a smooth dough forms.
- Shape into two balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Reserve about 1/3 of the dough for the lattice top. Roll out the rest of the dough and place it into a prepared 9-inch round buttered and floured pan.
Filling:
*If using farro, place 250 g of farro in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let soak for 3 days, changing the water daily. On the third day, drain the farro, place in a pot and cover it with cold water again. Place the pot over high heat, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat allowing the grain to simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the farro.
1/2 cup Milk
1 oz Butter
1 T Lemon Zest
250 g Grano cotto (cooked wheat or farro)
700 g Ricotta
3 cups Sugar, granulated
5 Eggs + 2 Egg Yolks
1 t Vanilla extract
1/2 t Orange blossom water (or 2 t if using the orange peel in boiled water process)
1 T Cinnamon
1/2 cup of any additional ingredients (candied dried fruit, chocolate chips)
1 Egg + 1 T Water for the egg wash
- Preheat the oven to 275 F.
- Place the milk, butter, lemon zest, and cooked grain into a small pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and the milk is absorbed. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely. If you prefer, you can blend this mixture with an emersion blender for a smoother consistency.
- Whisk together the ricotta, sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract, orange blossom water, and cinnamon until smooth, without lumps. Stir in any additions.
- Stir in the cooked grain mixture and pour evenly into the tart shells.
- Roll out the reserved 1/3 of the dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle, and cut strips about 1 inch wide. Lay across the top of the pies to form a lattice top. Egg wash the lattice tops.
- Place the pies in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown. Since it is baked at a low heat, it will take 1.5 to 2 hours total. A toothpick test should come out clean. Cover the pies with aluminum foil if getting too dark. Once done, leave the pies in the oven with the door slightly cracked to cool down.
- Serve at room temperature, dust with confectioner's sugar, and enjoy!