The recipe for Pastiera, the Scaturchio classic

Warning with the collaboration of Giacomo Cautiello head pastry chef

It is easy to prepare but difficult to achieve the authentic taste. The ingredients and their dosage are crucial. First rule for a classic Pastiera: get some wheat grains, preferably soft. Many resort to the canned one for convenience. But for a Neapolitan this is a real crime.

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry:

1kg flour

400 gr lard

400 g sugar

200 g eggs

1 pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling:

1/2 kg ricotta 

1/2 cooked grain

1/2 kg sugar

7 eggs

2 drops of orange blossom

70/80 g of citron

Preparation

The grain should be left in the water for 3 days, taking care to change the water in the morning and in the evening. Once drained and rinsed, it is cooked with a pinch of lard and a very small pinch of salt, first on a high flame until boiling, then continue on a low flame for about an hour and a half without ever turning. Then drain everything and put it in the fridge.

The shortcrust pastry

Once this operation is done, the shortcrust pastry is prepared by making a fountain with the flour into which the eggs, sugar and lard are poured (please do not give in to butter on a dietary basis, which, among other things, warns Giacomo, makes the pastry harden). and a pinch of salt. Work with your hands until you get a uniform ball of dough which you leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes covered with a cloth so as not to absorb humidity from the fridge.

The filler

It's time to move on to preparing the filler. Place the cooked wheat in a saucepan, add the eggs and mix. Then add the sifted ricotta and previously mixed with the granulated sugar (and not icing sugar as some do) which allows the pastiera to caramelize in the oven. Then add the candied fruit and the orange blossom water, half a vial without exaggerating, being careful to buy it of good quality. The mixture must remain a little liquid, if it is hard add another egg.

With the previously prepared shortcrust pastry using a rolling pin, make a sheet of about 1/2 cm thick and cover the pan (about 26 cm in diameter and at least 5 cm in height) by piercing it with a fork in several places before pour in the dough.

After pouring the filler into the pan, with the leftover dough, strips are obtained and then placed in the shape of a lozenge, taking care not to make them wider than one cm and not to overdo it. 6 strips in all are enough between one and three cross each other to form a dozen rhombuses. Bake immediately at 230 degrees, so as not to sink the strips into the dough. It is recommended to make sure that the oven has reached the expected temperature of 230 degrees in time, which however should be brought to 200 after a quarter of an hour. Cooking time one hour and 10, one hour and a quarter until the pastiera will not have taken on a dark hazelnut colour.

One last precaution, let the pastiera rest for at least a day before consuming it so that it can release all its explosive Easter fragrance.

Before serving, and only before serving, sprinkle with icing sugar