''Pastiera'' (; ) or ''pastiera napoletana'' is a type of Neapolitan

tart A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with ...

made with cooked

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

, eggs and ricotta cheese, and flavored with orange flower water. It is usually eaten at

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

Legends

Various writers repeat legends about the origin of ''pastiera''. One story connects it to the siren Parthenope, whom the Neapolitans thanked for her sweet singing by giving her

ricotta Ricotta () is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein h ...

, flour, eggs, milk, spices and sugar; Parthenope gave these ingredients to the gods, who made ''pastiera'' out of it. Another story connects it to a spring celebration of the goddess Ceres.Eli Rogosa, ''Restoring Heritage Grains'', , p. 206–207

Origins and tradition

The modern ''pastiera'' was probably invented in a Neapolitan convent. The tale goes that unknown nun wanted that cake, symbol of the

resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

, to have the perfume of the flowers of the orange trees which grew in the convent's gardens. She mixed a handful of wheat to the white ricotta cheese, then she added some eggs, symbol of the new life, some water which had the fragrance of the flowers of the spring time, candied

citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick Peel (fruit), rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the Citrus taxonomy#Citrons, original citrus fruits from which al ...

and aromatic spices. Lore has it that the nuns of the ancient convent of San Gregorio Armeno used to prepare a great quantity of the pie for the rich families during Easter time. There are two different ways of preparing ''pastiera'': in the older, the ricotta is mixed with the eggs or with the grain; in the newer, thick

pastry cream Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency from ...

is added, making the ''pastiera'' softer.Francesconi (1995), p. 260 This innovation was introduced by Starace, a Neapolitan confectioner with a shop in a corner in Piazza Municipio ('Town Hall Square'). The ''pastiera'' has to be cooked some days in advance, no later than

Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, among other names,The day is also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries. is ...

Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

, in order to allow the fragrances to mix properly and result in that unique flavor. The ''pastiera'' is not only cooked but also sold and served in appropriate pans called ''ruoti'' because it is very fragile, so it would easily crumble up if removed from the ''ruoto''.

The savory variant

The savory Neapolitan ''pastiera'' is a variant of the sweet one. The recipe differs from that of the sweet ''pastiera'' for the dough based on pre-cooked wheat and the filling obtained from the union of sausages and cheeses (the most typical are Neapolitan

salami Salami ( ; : ''salame'') is a ''salume'' consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature fo ...

and

caciocavallo () is a type of ('stretched-curd') cheese made out of sheep's or cow's milk. It is produced throughout southern Italy, particularly in the Apennine Mountains and in the Gargano peninsula. Shaped like a teardrop, it is similar in taste to the ...

). In some variants the use of brisé dough and puff pastry is preferred.

References

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External links