Our Easter and Christmas meals were feasts... my mother's family all met at Aunt Flora's home in Jersey City to enjoy and celebrate the holidays. Dinner began with platters of fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives, Italian bread, then a pasta course (manicotti or lasagna for the religious holidays), a roast or sausages with plenty of vegetables and traditional Italian desserts with dark coffee.We ate Italian Easter Wheat Pie one day each year—and it was never store-bought.
My Aunts brought Easter cookies and baked goods-the wheat pie was my favorite. I loved the slight 'bite' of the wheat and flavors of cinnamon, vanilla and citrus. My father sometimes let me have a sip of his espresso with the dessert.
I'm not sure if my mother used lard for the pie crust-she was a fan of butter and Crisco but the crust was always flaky.
Italian Easter Wheat Pie- (Pastiera Napoletana)
In Southern Italy—particularly in Naples—the Easter meal isn't complete without Pastiera Napoletana. This is not simply a dessert; it is one of the many ritual food preparations which are an important part of the Holy Week.
My mother's family was from Calabria in southern Italy and we enjoyed a similar wheat pie for Easter each year.
Historically, the ingredients themselves carry symbolism: wheat for rebirth, eggs for life, ricotta cheese for abundance, and orange blossom water for the arrival of spring. Traditionally, pastiera is prepared a few days in advance and refrigerated to allow the flavors to develop-it becomes extra special.
I don't think my mother knew about rose water or orange blossom water but I remember the wonderful citrus aroma when she zested the oranges.
Prep Time: 45 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Yield: 1 pie
Ingredients
1 C Wheat berries cooked (about 1/4 Cup uncooked)
3 Tbsp Milk
3 ea Whole eggs
2 ea Egg yolks
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1 lb Whole milk ricotta, well-drained
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1–2 tsp Orange blossom water
1 ea Zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp Ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp Citron
1 ea Pie crust recipe (rolled and placed into a buttered pie pan
AP flour to dust when rolling out the dough
How to Prepare Easter Wheat Pie
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Collect mise en place.
Put 1/4 lb wheat berries into one qt of water and simmer for about an hour until tender. Strain and discard the water.
Combine cooked wheat berries and milk in a saucepan.
Cook gently until the mixture becomes creamy and slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
Be careful not to scorch the wheat berries while cooking with the milk.
Step 2
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add sugar and whisk so that the whites blend homogeneously into the yolks.
Place the ricotta into a different bowl, add the flavorings and zests to the ricotta and blend.
Add the citron to the ricotta and blend until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the cooled, cooked farro and blend.
Add the whisked eggs to the ricotta mixture, blend and then add the cold wheat berries and blend until the mixture is a homogenous batter.
Pour into the pie crust. Using a paring knife, trim the excess dough and cut 7 strips to place on top of the pie as lattice.
Step 3
Bake in a pre heated oven at 350°F. for about 1 hour until the filling has set and the pie is golden brown on top. Turn off the oven and let the pie cool.
Place into the refrigerator uncovered for about an hour, then cover with plastic. (the plastic will stick if the pie isn't cold)
Best to enjoy the following day-
