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Pastiera Napoletana is a traditional sweet Easter pie from Naples. It has the most beautiful and fragrant filling made from Grano Cotto (wheat berries), ricotta, candied citrus fruits and orange blossom water.
If you’ve never tried Pastiera Napoletana before I highly recommend that you do and if you have, I guarantee that you make it every Easter…it’s that good.
In Naples, it wouldn’t be Easter without the La Pastiera making an appearance. In fact, Pasticcerie all throughout Italy will often sell this Easter dessert at this time of year.
It’s made with one ingredient in particular, that you may not have heard of before; Grano Cotto. Grano Cotto is cooked wheat berries sold in jars in most supermarkets in Italy. You should be able to find it in Italian food stores, especially during Easter.
The wheat berries are mixed with ricotta, cinnamon, vanilla, candied fruit and orange blossom water to create the most fragrant yet delicate and creamy filling that you won’t be able to resist.
There are a few different steps and stages to making La Pastiera but don’t worry each step is fairly easy it just requires a little patience.
Although Pastiera is a dessert it’s the perfect way to start your day on Easter morning alongside a cappuccino. Buona Pasqua!
See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below
Ingredients
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Pin ItIngredient notes and substitutions
- Pasta Frolla (pastry) – we use our classic pasta frolla recipe but make it in a food processor so it’s super quick and easy. One important tip is to make sure you use cold butter straight from the fridge.
- Grano Cotto – this is cooked wheat berries sold in jars. You’ll need to order this online or visit an Italian food store to get some as it’s an important ingredient to make this classic Easter dessert.
- Ricotta – make sure the ricotta is well drained. I like to do this 24 hours in advance and keep it in the fridge.
- Orange blossom water – this may be tricky to find (again, Italian food stores may have it) if you can’t find it you could use the same amount of orange extract or leave it out.
- Candied citrus – traditionally La Pastiera is made with a mix of candied citron (cedro) and orange. If candied citron is hard to find you can just use candied orange and/or lemon.
- Sugar – in most desserts, I like to use caster sugar because it has a finer texture and dissolves quicker but granulated sugar can also be used.
Preparation tips
- Easter timeline – traditionally Pastiera Napoletana is made on Good Friday to be eaten on Easter Sunday. The flavours really do get better with time so if you start to prep the ricotta and pastry on the Thurday and make the Pastiera on Good Friday it’ll be perfect for Easter Sunday.
- Drain the ricotta in advance – make sure the ricotta is well drained. I like to do this 24 hours before in a sieve over a bowl and keep it in the fridge but overnight will also do.
- Prepare the pastry – I also find it easier to make the Pasta Frolla in advance (the day before) and store it in the fridge. Bring it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before using.
Step by step photos and instructions
To make the pasta frolla
Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and butter in a food processor and blitz until the butter is broken up and it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and grated orange zest and blitz until the pastry comes together in a clump. Turn it out onto your work surface and shape it into a ball a push it down slightly to form a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
To make the Grano Cotto mixture
Place the grano cotto, milk, butter, grated orange zest and sugar in a saucepan over a medium-low heat.
Cook the mixture for around 20-25 minutes whilst stirring with a wooden spoon until it’s thick and creamy.
Once ready, spread it out in a baking dish to cool.
To make the ricotta filling
Place the drained ricotta and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk with a hand whisk until combined and creamy. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, orange blossom water and eggs and whisk everything together until combined. Add the candied fruit and stir it into the filling.
Place in the fridge. Once the grano cotto is completely cold mix it into the ricotta mixture.
Assembly
Remove the Pasta Frolla from the fridge 30 minutes before using so it’s not too stiff.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C). Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the pasta frolla until about 3mm thick.
Tip: When rolling out the pastry I roll it a couple of times then turn the pastry around dusting the work surface with flour again and repeat this process until the pastry gets too large to turn otherwise the pastry will stick to the work surface.
Using the rolling pin to assist, place the pastry over your tart tin making sure to fold in the sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top to cut the edges.
For the leftover pastry back into a ball and roll it out again with a little flour. Using a fluted pasta wheel or pizza cutter to cut out 7 strips for topping the pastiera.
Pour the filling into the tart tin and top with the strips or pastry to create a diamond lattice (4 on the bottom and 3 strips on the top).
Place the Pastiera on a tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until it’s browned on top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tart tin. Once cooled remove from the case. Pastiera is best eaten 1-3 days after it’s made so transfer it to the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Pasta Frolla – shortcrust pastry is supposed to be crumbly. Don’t worry if it breaks or tears as you are assembling the Pastiera as you can patch it in and you’ll never be able to tell after baking. Why does it break easily? Because the pastry should never be overworked (kneaded) or it’ll become tough. You also don’t want to add too much flour for the same reason.
- Orange blossom water – I find this quite strong and it can be overpowering. A lot of recipes use as much as 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water which I find to be way too much. If you’ve never made Pastiera before I recommend using less like we do then maybe increase it next time until you find the amount you prefer.
- Prepping in advance – Since there are a few different steps to making La Pastiera I highly recommend preparing the Pasta Frolla and draining the ricotta the day before.
- The lattice (7 strips) – traditionally La Pastiera Napoletana is topped with 7 lattices (4 on the bottom and 3 on top). There are many myths and legends surrounding the 7 strips one being that they represent the 7 ancient streets in Naples.
Once baked the Pastiera will keep well for 4-5 days in the fridge.
More Italian Easter recipes
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Step By Step Photos Above
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Pastiera Napoletana
Equipment
- 9 inch tart tin with loose bottom
Ingredients
Pasta Frolla (pastry)
- 250 g (2 cups spooned and levelled) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 80 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar (can also use granulated)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 120 g (8.5 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- Zest of 1 orange
- Pinch of salt
Ricotta Filling
- 400 g (2 cups) 2 cups ricotta, well-drained
- 150 g (3/4 cup) caster sugar, (can also use granulated)
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, can also use extract
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water, see notes
- 100 g (3/4 cups) candied fruit
- 3 large eggs
Grano Cotto mixture
- 290 g (1.5 cups) Grano Cotto (cooked wheat berries)
- 200 ml (1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup) whole milk , (6.7 fl oz)
- 25 g (2 tablespoons) butter
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
Instructions
Preparation tips
- Make sure to drain the ricotta for at least 24 hours to remove excess moisture (I sit it in a sieve over a bowl in the fridge).
To make the Pasta Frolla (pastry)
- Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and butter in a food processor and blitz until the butter is broken up and it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg and grated orange zest and blitz until the pastry comes together in a clump. Turn it out onto your work surface and shape it into a ball a push it down slightly to form a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Grano Cotto mixture
- Place the grano cotto, milk, butter, grated orange zest and sugar in a saucepan over a medium-low heat.
- Cook the mixture for around 20-25 minutes whilst stirring with a wooden spoon until it’s thick and creamy.
- Once ready, spread it out in a baking dish to cool.
To make the ricotta filling
- Place the drained ricotta and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk with a hand whisk until combined and creamy. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, orange blossom water and eggs and whisk everything together until combined. Add the candied fruit and stir it into the filling.
- Place in the fridge. Once the grano cotto is completely cold mix it into the ricotta mixture.
Assemble and bake
- Remove the Pasta Frolla from the fridge 30 minutes before using so it’s not too stiff.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C). Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the pasta frolla until about 3mm thick.Tip: When rolling out the pastry I roll it a couple of times then turn the pastry around dusting the work surface with flour again and repeat this process until the pastry gets too large to turn otherwise the pastry will stick to the work surface.
- Using the rolling pin to assist, place the pastry over your tart tin making sure to fold in the sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top to cut the edges.
- For the leftover pastry back into a ball and roll it out again with a little flour. Using a fluted pasta wheel or pizza cutter to cut out 7 strips for topping the pastiera.
- Pour the filling into the tart tin and top with the strips or pastry to create a diamond lattice (4 on the bottom and 3 strips on the top).
- Place the Pastiera on a tray and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until it’s browned on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tart tin. Once cooled remove from the case. Pastiera is best eaten 1-3 days after it’s made so transfer it to the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
- Pasta Frolla – shortcrust pastry is supposed to be crumbly. Don’t worry if it breaks or tears as you are assembling the Pastiera as you can patch it in and you’ll never be able to tell after baking. Why does it break easily? Because the pastry should never be overworked (kneaded) or it’ll become tough. You also don’t want to add too much flour for the same reason.
- Orange blossom water – I find this quite strong and it can be overpowering. A lot of recipes use as much as 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water which I find to be way too much. If you’ve never made Pastiera before I recommend using less like we do then maybe increase it next time until you find the amount you prefer.
- Prepping in advance – Since there are a few different steps to making La Pastiera I highly recommend preparing the Pasta Frolla and draining the ricotta the day before.
- The lattice (7 strips) – traditionally La Pastiera Napoletana is topped with 7 lattices (4 on the bottom and 3 on top). There are many myths and legends surrounding the 7 strips one being that they represent the 7 ancient streets in Naples.
- Storage – once baked the Pastiera will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
