By Gina DePalma

Pastiera

 It is surprising how I have become a fan of pastiera. When I was younger, it was an old-time wacky Italian dish that seemed just too weird for my juvenile mind. One of my relatives used to call it “wheat pie” in English, and I just couldn’t wrap my head around that. Now that I am a grown-up, old-ways-seeking, chef-turned-writer I can handle the concept just fine, although I still can’t bring myself to call it “wheat pie.” The truth is that pastiera is one of the great Easter desserts of Campania; a marvel of perfectly balanced flavors and textures. And like most things Italian, there are variations on the ingredients that make it differ from household to household. Your house makes the best.

Cooked grain, or granocotto is the soul of the dish. Wheat is most common, but sometimes corn or barley is substituted. In Italian supermarkets you can always find cans of ready-to-use wheat granocotto in the baking section; they’re even labeled “per pastiera.” Now, you may be wondering why Italian cooks, notoriously fussy about the quality of their ingredients, would even consider using a canned product, and the answer is simple: cooking the wheat is a huge pain in the ass. The wheat kernels need to be soaked first; soft wheat takes about 24 hours of soaking, hard wheat needs 3 days, changing the water every day. The wheat is then cooked for hours until it tender, pale and plumped.

Fresh ricotta is the other key ingredient, either cow’s milk, or more commonly in Campania, sheep’s milk. I always process the ricotta smooth in a food processor first, to ensure that the texture of my pastiera is delicate and creamy. Orange flower water is traditionally added as a key flavor component, but if you can’t find it, freshly grated orange zest works just fine.

The rest of the additions are entirely subjective. Some cooks prefer to leave out the candied fruits, which can be any one or a mix of orange, lemon and citron. Candied squash - zucca candida - is a super-traditional addition that I have omitted, since it is nearly impossible to find outside of Italy.

Here are few things to be mindful of when you make your own pastiera to celebrate Easter this year. If you can’t find a can of granocotto at your local Italian deli or specialty shop, barley makes a good substitute in a pinch; just be sure to cook it until it is extremely soft and tender. If you decide to cook your own wheat, go for the soft wheat, which you can usually find in health food stores. Soak it in a triple volume of water for 24 hours, draining the soaking water and starting with fresh water, about 3 cups of cooking water per 1 cup of wheat. Cook the wheat for 2 hours, uncovered, at a low simmer, or until the grains are pale, soft and tender. Allow the entire mixture to cool; some of the cooking liquid will congeal around the kernels which is fine – don’t try to separate the goo from the grain.

Use a scale to measure the cooked wheat and the ricotta for the recipe; it is really the only way to get a completely accurate measurement, and if you don’t already have one, this is a good excuse to pick one up.

Pastiera

For the Pasta Frolla: (adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts From The Babbo Kitchen)

2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange
¾ cup (1½ sticks, 6 oz.) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small even cubes
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
a few drops of ice water, if necessary

Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and citrus zest in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to combine the dry ingredients.

Add all of the cold, cubed butter to the bowl, and process until the mixture is sandy and there are no visible lumps of butter. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Add the wet ingredients to the food processor and pulse three or four times or until the dough comes together. If necessary, add some ice water, a few drops at a time, to make the dough come together.

Remove the dough from the food processor and knead a few times by hand to even out any dry or wet spots. Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill until firm, 1 to 2 hours, before rolling it out.

For the Filling and to assemble:

10 oz. or 285 gms of cooked wheat or canned granocotto
½ cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons plus ½ cup granulated sugar
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 oz. or 340 gms fresh ricotta, smoothed in the food processor
2 extra-large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange flower water, or freshly grated zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons diced candied orange
2 tablespoons diced candied citron
1 additional egg for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 350 ° and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

On a floured board, roll the tart dough into an 11-inch circle, 1/8 th of an inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch pie plate or deep tart pan by rolling the dough around the pin like a carpet and then unrolling it onto the pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, then trim the dough to leave a ½ inch overhang. Gather the scraps and re-chill them to roll out later for the lattice top. Chill the tart shell while you make the filling.

Place the cooked grain, milk, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon in a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon until the mixture is creamy – the grains will retain their shape, but the rest of the mixture should be soft and smooth, and there should be no big clumps of grain; it should resemble creamy oatmeal. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

When the grain mixture has cooled, place the smoothed-out ricotta in a large bowl and whisk in the eggs, vanilla, orange flower water or zest. Mix in the grain mixture and candied fruits, making sure all the ingredients are completely combined.

Set the filling aside while you roll out the remaining pasta frolla into a rectangle at least 11 inches long and 6 inches wide. Using a pastry cutter, cut ½ to ¾ inch-wide strips. Pour the filling into the chilled shell and carefully arrange the strips on top in a lattice pattern pinching the edges together with the overhang. Trim all the pastry flush with the top of the pan.

Use a fork to slightly beat the egg with a small splash of water to make an egg wash. With a pastry brush, glaze the pastry strips and edges. Bake the pastiera on the middle rack of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating it 180 ° after 20 minutes to ensure even browning. The pastiera is done when the filling is puffing and set, and the pastry is golden brown. Remove it from the oven and set it to cool on a rack.

Allow the pastiera to cool completely or overnight before cutting it into wedges to serve.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

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