Pastiera Napoletana
- Prepare
- 1-2 hours
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Makes 1 tart
- Dietary
- Vegetarian
Pastiera Napoletana is a delicious ricotta and orange blossom tart which is traditionally eaten in Italy at Easter time.
Ingredients
For the cream of wheat
For the shortcrust pastry
- 1 free-range egg
- 30g/1oz caster sugar
- 20g/¾oz honey
- 40ml/1½fl oz sunflower oil
- 1 lemon, zest only, finely grated
- 160g/5½oz ‘00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the ricotta cream
- 150g/5½oz ricotta, well drained (you can use sheeps' ricotta)
- 150g/5½oz caster sugar
- 60g/2¼oz free-range egg yolks (from 4–5 eggs)
- ½ tsp orange blossom water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 20g/¾oz runny honey
Method
To make the cream of wheat, heat the milk, grano cotto, cinnamon, lemon and orange zest and butter in a saucepan until the milk is absorbed. Let cool in a bowl.
To make the shortcrust pastry, mix the egg, sugar, honey, sunflower oil, and lemon zest in a bowl.
Add the flour and baking powder, and mix the dough with your hands until it just comes together. Turn out onto a floured worktop and knead lightly to a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film, and let rest in the fridge for an hour.
To make the ricotta cream, whisk the ricotta and sugar in a bowl. Add the egg yolks, orange blossom water and vanilla extract.
Fold the cream of wheat into the ricotta mixture, then set aside in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 5.
To assemble, cut off one-third of the pastry and set aside. Roll out the remaining shortcrust pastry to 3mm/⅛in thickness.
Grease and flour a 20cm/8in tart tin. Line the tin with the pastry and prick the base all over with a fork. Fill the tart with the ricotta cream.
Roll out the remaining pastry and cut into 2cm/¾in strips and place them on top of the tart in a lattice pattern.
Bake for 50–60 minutes in the centre of the oven. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Slice and serve.
