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Ask Chef Walter: How to make Pastiera – Walter Potenza
by Executive Chef Walter Potenza, contributing writer
Friends:
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience Italy during Easter, you’ll know just how magical—and delicious—it is. The country comes alive with an incredible variety of seasonal cakes and pastries, each one sweeter than the last. What I love most is how every region has its own special treat, something locals hold dear and simply can’t imagine the holiday without.
Last year, wandering through Liguria, I couldn’t resist trying the famous Torta Pasqualina, a savory vegetarian tart so flaky and rich, it felt like a celebration in every bite. Then, in Le Marche, I discovered their irresistible pizza di formaggio, a cheesy bread that’s somehow both simple and unforgettable.
But today’s article has me dreaming of Naples’ Pastiera—the queen of Easter desserts. This fragrant wheat berry and ricotta tart, perfumed with orange blossom water and cinnamon, is pure poetry on a plate. Neapolitans swear it’s not Easter without a slice (or three!). And let’s not forget Sicily’s cassata—a decadent, almost-too-pretty-to-eat masterpiece of pan di spagna, creamy ricotta, and bright candied fruits. One slice, and I was in dessert heaven!
Easter in Italy isn’t just a holiday—it’s a feast for the senses, and I can’t wait to go back and taste it all over again.
(Featured today: Naples’ heavenly pastiera – because Easter isn’t complete without this citrus-kissed wonder!)
The Pastiera Napoletana has a rich and fascinating history, blending legend, tradition, and culinary evolution. Some historians link Pastiera to ancient Roman spring festivals celebrating Ceres (Demeter), the goddess of grain and fertility. Offerings of wheat, ricotta, and eggs symbolized rebirth and abundance. The early Church likely repurposed these pagan customs into Easter celebrations, with wheat (now grano cotto) representing Christ’s resurrection.
A popular Neapolitan tale claims the Pastiera was invented in a convent. Inspired by spring blossoms, a nun mixed ricotta, wheat, eggs, and citrus to create a heavenly dessert. Others say it was a gift from the mermaid Parthenope to Naples, symbolizing joy. By the 16th–17th centuries, Pastiera was a staple of Neapolitan Easter feasts. It’s said even the stern Queen Maria Theresa of Austria (wife of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon) smiled after tasting it, earning the quip: “Per far sorridere mia moglie ci voleva la pastiera!” (“To make my wife smile, it took pastiera!”).
Pastiera became inseparable from Holy Week in Naples, with families passing down recipes for generations. The wheat-ricotta filling reflects agrarian roots, while orange blossom water (a Moorish influence) nods to Sicily’s citrus trade. Some versions use grano cotto (pre-boiled wheat), while others substitute rice or semolina. The crust is always pasta frolla (shortcrust), but filling textures vary from creamy to grainier.
Why Easter?
The ingredients—eggs (rebirth), wheat (resurrection), ricotta (purity), and citrus (spring)—align perfectly with Easter’s themes of renewal. Neapolitans still say:
“La pastiera deve cuocere mentre il Venerdì Santo passa” (“The pastiera must bake as Good Friday passes”) to ensure its symbolic power.
Let’s go in the kitchen and make a pastiera.
Total time: less than 15 minutes. Prep. Time: 15 minutes. Waiting time: 30-60 minutes. Baking time: 1 hour. Difficulty: Easy
Chef’s Note
Every Easter, Neapolitans resurrect their love for sweets with Pastiera, a pie specially made for the occasion. It is filled with fresh ricotta cheese and studded with candied fruits. It is vibrant and is a welcome compensation for all the privations of Lent. This is our version here in our school in New England.
Ingredients
For the pastry (2 small pies)
600 g (1 lb. five oz.) flour
300 g (10 oz.) sugar
300 g (10 oz.) butter + 1 tbsp. to butter the molds
6 egg yolks
1 tbsp. white Vermouth
For the filling – step 1
454 g (1 lb.) Italian arborio rice or other short-grain rice (never long-grain)
500 ml (2 cups) water
500 ml (2 cups) hot milk
A pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
For the filling – step 2
500 g (18 oz.) ricotta cheese
500 g (2 cups) fruit sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. cognac
150 g (5 oz.) candied fruit
Directions
Making the pastry
Cream the butter and sugar, and add the eggs, flour, and Vermouth. Combine the ingredients, working them as little as possible, to create a smooth dough. Divide the dough into two parts, and rest in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
Filling mixture
Cook the rice in the water for 15 minutes. Drain; add the hot milk, salt, zest, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until all the milk is absorbed; remove from the heat and let cool.
Filling mixture
Mix the fruit sugar and the ricotta; add the egg yolks one at a time; add the cinnamon, cognac, and candied fruit, mixing well after each addition. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks; gently fold them into the ricotta mixture. Gently combine the rice and ricotta mixtures. Grease two pie plates (9 inches each); divide each pastry ball into half; line each pie plate with pastry and cover with the filling; cover with more pastry strips in a lattice pattern;
Bake in a preheated 190° C (375° F) oven for 1 hour. Let cool before unmoulding. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve at room temperature.
Note: I have tried Pastiere all over Italy and certainly made enough of them in my years of cooking. The version created by the Pasticceria Tizzano in Naples is the nicest. Corso Meridionale, 6/C Napoli / Tel. 081 1957 7567 / Cell 351 00 49 590
| Puglia Salento Tour Arrival October 6, 2025. Departure October 13, 2025 . Food + Wine + Life Tour . 8 Days – 7 Nights . Double Occupancy . Land – Package. $ 4500 PP. [email protected]flavorsandknowledge.com |
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Chef Walter is featured HERE every Sunday with his regular Ask Chef Walter column!
Meet Chef Walter! There is a constant, recognizable thread in the career of Walter Potenza to elevate the level of Italian culinary culture in the United States. Besides his unquestionable culinary talent and winning business perspective, Chef Walter has been a relentless educator with passion and knowledge who defeats stereotypes. His life, career, and values are a model, an example to follow by any chef of Italian gastronomy working outside Italy.
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