Pastiera Napoletana

Ingredients

• All-butter pastry

  260 g all-purpose flour

  plain, not self-raising; roll between parchment without extra flour

• 125 g unsalted butter

  cold, cubed; all used in pastry

• 85 g granulated sugar

  for the pastry

• 50 g whole egg

  beaten edible weight, without shell; approximately 1 large egg

• 10 g cold water

  all added to pastry

• 2 g fine salt

  for the pastry

• Wheat cream and ricotta filling

  250 g ready-cooked wheat for pastiera (grano cotto)

  unsweetened jarred product, stirred first and weighed with its soft starchy coating; do not rinse or drain

• 150 g whole milk

  pasteurized

• 300 g whole-milk ricotta

  pasteurized cow’s-milk ricotta, weighed after refrigerator draining; buy about 350–400 g

• 125 g granulated sugar

  for the filling

• 100 g whole eggs

  beaten edible weight, without shells; approximately 2 large eggs, divided into two 50 g additions

• 4 g finely grated orange zest

  washed orange, colored peel only; no juice

• 5 g orange blossom water

  food-grade unsweetened distilled floral water, not concentrated baking essence or cosmetic water

• 40 g candied orange peel

  ready to eat, finely diced; no extra syrup

Directions

1. Drain the ricotta; make and chill the pastry

   Four hours before mixing the filling, put ricotta in a fine sieve over a bowl, cover and refrigerate at 4°C/40°F or below. Weigh 300 g after draining; the discarded whey is not part of this recipe. For the pastry, mix 260 g flour with 85 g sugar and 2 g salt. Rub in 125 g cold cubed butter with fingertips until the mixture is sandy with a few small flakes. Add 50 g beaten egg, then all 10 g cold water. Bring together with a spatula and press into a flat disc without kneading smooth. Wrap and refrigerate for 60 minutes. Do not taste raw pastry. The ricotta draining is advance preparation, separate from the displayed hands-on time.

2. Cook the wheat cream and cool it promptly

   Stir the jar of ready-cooked grano cotto, then weigh 250 g including its soft starchy coating. Do not rinse it or substitute 250 g dry wheat. Put it in a small saucepan and add all 150 g whole milk. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring, then cook gently for 8–10 minutes until creamy and spoonable. Keep the grains partly intact; it should not become dry or a smooth puree. Spread in a shallow bowl, let steam subside for about 10 minutes, then refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate promptly rather than leaving the milk mixture on the counter.

3. Build the orange-scented ricotta filling

   Press the drained 300 g ricotta through a clean sieve into a bowl. Stir in 125 g sugar until evenly mixed. Add the first 50 g of the beaten filling eggs and stir gently; add the remaining 50 g and mix again. Stir in 4 g finely grated orange zest, then 5 g food-grade orange blossom water. Fold in 40 g finely diced candied orange peel. Finally fold in all the cooled wheat-and-milk mixture, scraping the bowl. The filling should be creamy with visible soft grains and orange pieces. Avoid whipping in air. Keep covered in the refrigerator while rolling the pastry, and do not taste the raw-egg filling.

4. Line the tin and add the filling

   Heat the oven to 170°C/340°F conventional. Put an ungreased nonstick 24 cm metal tart tin, at least 4 cm deep with a removable base, on a baking tray. Reserve about one quarter of the cold pastry for the lattice. Roll the larger piece between parchment sheets to roughly 3–4 mm thick, wide enough for the base and sides. Peel off the paper, line the tin without stretching the dough, and press cracks closed. Trim flush with the rim and add trimmings to the reserved pastry. Prick the base lightly with a fork without piercing right through. Pour in all the filling and level it; it should sit below the rim. Keep chilled if the pastry softens. This filled tart bakes without a separate blind-baking step.

5. Add seven strips and bake until set

   Roll the reserved pastry and all trimmings between parchment. Cut seven strips about 1.5–2 cm wide, sized to span the tart, re-rolling scraps as needed. Lay four parallel strips diagonally across the filling, then lay three in the opposite direction to make diamond openings; the strips cross without weaving. Press the ends onto the pastry rim. Use remaining tiny scraps to patch or reinforce the rim so no edible pastry is discarded. Bake on the lower-middle shelf for about 70–85 minutes. Start checking after 65 minutes. The lattice should be golden and the center should move together with a slight tremble, not ripple like liquid. Check the filling center through a lattice opening with a clean thermometer: it must reach at least 71°C/160°F. If the top colors too fast, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. Color alone is not a safety test.

6. Cool briefly, refrigerate overnight and slice

   Set the tin on a rack for about 60 minutes, then move it to the refrigerator even if still slightly warm; do not wait hours for it to become completely cold on the counter. Refrigerate within 2 hours of leaving the oven, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C/90°F. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. The displayed 600 minutes of rest allows pastry chilling, cooling and the final 8-hour chill; the separate 4-hour ricotta drain starts beforehand. Once fully cold and firm, remove the tin sides carefully and cut ten slices with a clean knife. Serve plain, without icing sugar, cream, fruit or extra garnish. Keep at 4°C/40°F or below and eat within 3–4 days of baking. Return the tart to the refrigerator promptly after serving.