Le recipes signed “Mirari”
by Antonella Casaburi – Pastiera is an unmissable dessert on Italian tables in Southern Italy. During the Easter period, nothing creates the festive atmosphere more than a typical dessert. The pastiera, then, is delicious and meets everyone's tastes. The recipes for preparing it are numerous, and each of us has our own secrets.
I'll reveal mine to you. The first secret is the quality of the ingredients, which must always be very high. The eggs must be at room temperature. Furthermore, to obtain a creamy and not excessively sweet pastiera I use a little sugar and very fresh buffalo ricotta.
Ingredients for the Pastiera:
For the pastry:
400 g stone-ground 00 flour
200 g butter
100 g sugar
2 medium eggs from free-range hens
zest of 1 untreated orange
For the stuffing:
400 g buffalo ricotta
130 g sugar
200 g pre-cooked wheat
200 ml whole milk
2 medium eggs from free-range hens
One yolk
200 g orange zest
100 g lemon zest
I start from the filling. In a small saucepan, I pour the wheat, some orange peel cut into cubes and a teaspoon of sugar, stirring over a low heat until the milk is completely absorbed.
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta and sugar until the mixture is soft and without lumps. I add the eggs, the yolk and the rest of the orange and lemon peels. I add the wheat, which will have cooled, mixing until I obtain a soft and creamy filling. I let it rest in the fridge and prepare the pastry.
For the pastry I mix butter, sugar, eggs, orange zest and only at the end, gradually, the flour. When the dough is elastic and compact, I wrap it in a cloth and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
With 2/3 of the cold dough, I line a baking tray. I pour the filling in and cover the pastiera with strips obtained from the remaining part of the dough, trying to form diamond shapes.
Bake at 180° for 80 minutes.
All you have to do is taste.
Antonella Casaburi
