Okay, so Easter was rolling around, and I got this urge, you know? I wanted to try making some of those proper traditional Italian Easter desserts. Not the store-bought stuff, but the real deal, like Nonna used to make. Or, well, like I imagine Nonna used to make, since my Nonna wasn’t exactly a star baker.
First step, figuring out what to actually make. There are so many! I settled on trying a Pastiera Napoletana – that famous ricotta and wheat berry pie – and maybe some simple lemon Easter cookies, just to have something easier on the side. Getting the ingredients was a bit of a mission. Finding the cooked wheat berries (grano cotto) for the Pastiera wasn’t straightforward. Had to check a couple of specialty stores. And ricotta, you need the good stuff, the creamy whole milk kind, not the watery stuff.
Tackling the Pastiera Napoletana
Alright, the Pastiera. This one felt like a project. I made sure I had everything ready before starting. Here’s roughly what went into it:
- For the crust: Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest. Simple stuff.
- For the filling: Cooked wheat berries (grano cotto), good whole milk ricotta, sugar, lots of eggs, candied orange peel, orange blossom water, vanilla, cinnamon.
Started the day before, actually. You gotta cook the wheat berries with milk and lemon zest until it’s like a thick porridge. That smell? Amazing. Already felt like Easter.
Then the crust – pasta frolla. Mixed it all up, kneaded it briefly, then wrapped it and stuck it in the fridge to chill. Easy enough, I thought. Famous last words.
Next day was filling time. This is where it gets serious. Mixed the ricotta, sugar, eggs, the cooked wheat berry mixture, some candied orange peel (which I chopped myself, very sticky job!), and the flavorings – orange blossom water is key here. It smells intense, like pure spring.
Getting it all together
Rolling out the crust was tricky. It kept cracking. Had to patch it up a bit in the pan. Poured in that glorious filling. Then came the lattice top. Cutting strips, trying to make them even, laying them across… let’s just say my lattice wasn’t exactly perfect. More ‘rustic’, yeah, that’s the word.
Into the oven it went. The waiting is torture. The whole house smelled incredible though – sweet, citrusy, rich. Baked it low and slow for quite a while until it was golden brown.
Quick Lemon Easter Cookies
While the Pastiera was baking, I quickly whipped up the lemon cookies. These were much simpler. Butter, sugar, eggs, flour, lemon zest, bit of baking powder. Mixed, rolled, cut out some egg shapes (and some blob shapes, let’s be honest). Baked them till they were just golden at the edges. A nice little side victory.
Okay, moment of truth. The Pastiera came out of the oven looking pretty good, despite the wonky lattice. It needs to cool completely, ideally overnight, for the flavors to really meld. Torture!
The cookies? Perfect for nibbling right away. Zesty, buttery, crumbly. Just right with a cup of coffee.
When we finally cut into the Pastiera the next day… wow. It was dense, moist, fragrant. The texture of the wheat berries, the creamy ricotta, the citrus notes, the hint of orange blossom – it actually tasted like the real thing! Maybe not as perfect as a pro Neapolitan baker’s, but definitely worth the effort. Felt pretty proud, I gotta say.
So, was it easy? Not entirely. The Pastiera takes time and patience. Finding specific ingredients can be a hassle. But doing it yourself, the whole process… it feels good. Connecting with that tradition, filling the kitchen with those smells. It made Easter feel a bit more special. Definitely doing this again next year. Maybe I’ll even nail the lattice top then.
