La Pastiera is known to many as the traditional Italian Easter grain cake and can be found on Easter lunch tables throughout Italy. And don’t just reserve it for Easter. You will love this cake because it’s not overly sweet or rich and can be enjoyed as dessert or as a snack and really, is quite healthy as far as sweets go! Hmmm…
An Italian Easter tradition
For many years my Italian cousin spoke of “La Pastiera”, the traditional Italian Easter grain cake. She makes many cakes in the preceding days of Easter Sunday to be gifted to family and friends. Originally a Neapolitan speciality, la Pastiera is full of meaning and now popular throughout Italy. However, this was not something I grew up with. Ingredients required in La Pastiera would not have be easy to come by in the Australia fifty years ago. Several years ago I made a version with cooked rice but I was not pleased with it. However this past Easter I was able to acquire grano cotto (cooked grain), aqua di millie fiori (water of 1000 flowers) and good quality candied Italian fruit so I set to work. If you can’t find grano cotto, I have seen recipe that use pearl barley but I have never tried that myself.
This Pastiera recipe
The recipe supplied by my cousin (who also supplied the recipe for Petralli – a Calabrese fig filled cookie) required 200g grano cotto but the tin I had was 400g so I adjusted the recipe accordingly. I later realised the recipe was very similar to the one found in Luciana Sampogna’s cookbook “Light of Lucia”. The result was a delicious, fragrant pie/cake which I will serve not only for each forthcoming Easter but at many times throughout the year. A filling of cooked grains, ricotta and candied fruits is encased in delicate pasta frolla. It’s said to be a cross between a cheesecake and rice pudding and is best made several days prior to serving to allow the flavours to meld.
Yes, Pastiera is unusual but I can guarantee it’s delicious. Why don’t you try it and let me know what you think in the comments below?
Baci
Marcellina xx
Marcellina xx
La Pastiera
This is a traditional Italian cake baked during Holy Week to celebrate Easter. Said to have been invented in Naples but is now found on the Easter lunch table throughout Italy.
Print Pin RateServings:10 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain (all purpose) flour plus extra for dusting
- ¾ cup caster sugar superfine
- 7 oz chilled butter chopped (1 ¾ sticks)
- 2 egg yolks from large eggs
- 1 tablespoons iced water more if needed
Filling
- 14 ½ oz grano cotto canned
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar superfine
- 1 tablespoon orange flower water
- 1 grated lemon rind
- 4 eggs separated
- ⅔ cups mixed Italian candied fruit
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare the first part of the Filling so you can let it cool.
- Place the grano cotto, milk, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla in a saucepan and cook gently over a low heat for about 30 minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy. Cool
Now prepare the Pastry so you can let it rest.
- I did mine in the food processor. Place the flour, sugar and butter in the food processor bowl. Blitz in bursts until crumbly. Then add the egg yolks while the motor is running. Drizzle in a little iced water if the dough doesn't come to together and seems a bit dry. Remove from the bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the filling.
- Heat the oven to300°F/150°C.
- Beat the ricotta with an electric mixer or by hand until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and mix well. Add acqua di millie fiori, lemon rind, egg yolks, candied fruit, cinnamon and cooled grano cotto mixture. Mix well. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into ricotta/grano cotto mixture.
- Remove the pastry from refrigerator and roll out and line a 9 1/2 - 10inch (24-26cm) flan pan, which has been greased and floured. Pour in the filling. I had a bit leftover and made a small individual pie. With the leftover pastry cut strips and form the traditional lattice top.
- Bake in the preheated over for about 2 hours. Once cooled dust with icing (powdered) sugar.
Notes
- For the candied fruits, I like to use candied cedro and orange peel but any good quality fruit can be used.
- Be sure to prepare this several days before you want to serve it.
Nutrition
Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 119g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 975IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see!Mention @marcellina.in.cucina or tag #marcellinaincucina
Does anyone know how much Mille fiori is needed in the pastiera recipe, is it also one tablespoon? I have a bottle of Mille fiori, not the vials. Can someone measure the quantity in the vial and let everyone know if it is one teaspoon or one tablespoon, or less, please? Also, I have orange blossom water. Which is better, Mille fiori or orange blossom water? If possible, please let me know asap. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Amelia, one viale of Mille Fiori that I used was 2 teaspoons. I have only ever been able to access the mille Fiori once so I use orangeflower water in all my pastiere since and I like it very much. I think it depends on your preference. Let me know how you go with the recipe.
Lydia, further to the above comment if you don't find the acqua millefiori try with the orangeflower water. I think it will still give the wonderful floral flavour needed.
HI Lidia, I hope you will look back here to get my answers. Firstly I'm so glad you liked my recipe. Isn't is amazing about family recipes. I'm sure they have some background but as our families arrived in Australia they were forced to use different ingredients and some recipes probably changed. Have a look at my Torta di Zucca which is very common in our town but I struggled to find anything like it anywhere.
Anyway, the acqua di mille fiori was a little vial that came in a "Pastiera" kit which I bought in my local Italian deli. In it was the grano cotto, the vial and some icing suga, I think. I hope my deli gets it in again this year because I can't find the acqua di mille fiori anywhere else. It did give the most delicate perfume to the pastiera.
That is amazing that you found the pastiera in a Cairns cafe!
Good luck! You might be able to find the kit around Easter time in Italian delis. Ask them about it before hand. Thanks for dropping by!
Hi Marcellina. I'm eager to try to make this myself this Easter. My Neopolitan mum and aunties make something they call 'pastia' but it's quite different. It has lots (…and lots) of eggs, no ricotta or grano cotta but hand made little sweet, short vermicelli or some people use rice. It doesn't have a pastry base either. I can't find any reference to it so it must be a family recipe. I do remember going to Cairns one Easter and missing out on mum's pastia but in a Cairns cafe (of all places) I came across pastiera and I was so excited because it reminded me of the pastia.
I have found orange blossom water and grano cotta suppliers here in Sydney but I was just wondering where you found your acqua di mille fiori?
Certainly gotta do some Sherlock Holmes groundwork to make it correctly.
Cheers
Lidia
I made one this past Easter, but since I couldn't find the cooked wheat I cooked it myself, but it was still crunchy. I will try again next year, it is a cake that attract me because it is different and has ricotta and candied orange peel.
Great job on the DB challenge as well! I am glad I didn't try the full recipe, it makes way too much marquise.
What an interesting cake! I have heard of it, but never tried it. I have never seen grains in a can, but I am going to have a look for it, as I live in Little Italy in my city. Another new thing to me is the acqua di millie fiori–it sounds divine! As far as seasonal treats go, I have been meaning to make a candied fruit cake since December, but it just seems odd at this time of year. You've inspired me to make it sooner rather than later.
🙂
I love pastiera. For your first attempt, you did a first rate job. It looks perfect!
amaizing tart! it looks dellicius
I make 2-3 of these every Easter without fail. Since moving to MN, I have had to make my own pastiera which is fun. Yours looks scrumptious – it is the best pie ever!
Oh, Marcellina! This looks so yummy! Anything that includes pasta frolla must be divine and this pie even contains my favourite ricotta 🙂 Unfortunately, I cannot buy grano cotto here where I live, but I can imagine that La Pastire tastes very gooood!
Io adoro la pastiera!!! Ha un aspetto magnifico! Complimenti di cuore.
Baci baci