Chocolate Pastiera

The chocolate pastiera is a delicious variant of the traditional Neapolitan pastiera, a typical Easter sweet. Here’s the recipe to make it:

Ingredients

• 300 g of shortcrust pastry
• 300 g of sheep’s ricotta
• 150 g of granulated sugar
• 100 g of cooked wheat
• 50 g of candied fruit (citron and orange)
• 30 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 100 g of dark chocolate in chunks
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 vial of orange blossom essence (or the grated zest of one orange)
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. Roll out the shortcrust pastry into an even layer and use it to line a baking pan (usually 24 cm in diameter), leaving a high edge. Prick the bottom with a fork and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the sugar until you get a smooth, lump-free cream.
3. Incorporate the whole eggs one at a time, then add the yolk and mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
4. Add the cooked wheat, bitter cocoa, chunks of dark chocolate, candied fruit, and a pinch of cinnamon. Mix well.
5. Scent the mixture with the orange blossom essence or with the grated orange zest.
6. Pour the mixture into the pan lined with shortcrust pastry and level it with a spatula.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 60 minutes, until the pastiera looks golden and the surface is slightly swollen.
8. Allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar, if desired.

A little history

The pastiera was born as a symbolic dessert of the Resurrection and was traditionally prepared on Holy Thursday to be consumed on Easter Sunday, after the long period of Lent. The chocolate version adds a note of sinful pleasure to the tradition, for an even richer and more enticing variant.