Pastiera (Neapolitan Easter Wheat Cheescake Pie)

This is a Neapolitan Easter Pie. It usually contains citron but I prefer to make it with lemon and orange zest. I used to make this for my daddy who was from Naples, Italy and he approved. Think of it as a  Mediterranean flavored Cheesecake! 

Ingredients/Tools

9 inch cake pan or cheesecake/springform pan

9 ounces Cooked Wheat Berries (cook 9 ounces raw wheat berries in water until soft 30-60 minutes covered)

1/4 cup half n half)

1 stip lemon peel

OR

One 14 ounce jar Grano Cotto  (Only use 3/4 of jar)

Pastry Dough

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

pinch salt

1/2 cup sugar

5 ounces butter

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

ice cold water (if too dry- adding 1 tablespoon at a time)

2 teaspoons lemon zest 

Filling

16 ounces ricotta whole milk (drained a few hours in paper towels in fridge)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

zest 1 large lemon

zest 1 large orange

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice or orange flower water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Dough: Mix dry ingredients then add chopped or grated butter until crumbly, add eggs and mix by hand until a dough forms adding ice water a little at a time until it sticks together when  mushed in hands. Place in plastic in fridge.

Filling: Beat ricotta and sugar, add cinnamon and zests and mix together. Add eggs and orange blossom or juice. Add in cooled off Wheat Berries Mixture and mix togther.

Crust & Pie: Butter the pan, Separate dough by setting 3/4 aside for crust and 1/4 aside to cut into strips for the lattice. Roll out Dough and place in pan bringing it up the sides and crimping  Pour in mixture. Add lattice dough strips on top. 

Bake: Bake 50-60 minutes at 375

Set in fridge covered over night.

Dust powdered sugar on top just before serving!

serving!