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Rice Pastiera

17/11/2023

Rice pastiera is a variant of the more traditional Neapolitan pastiera which uses wheat, but it can be equally delicious. Here is the recipe with an Italian touch:

Ingredients

  • 500 g of shortcrust pastry
  • 150 g of rice
  • 500 ml of milk
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 300 g of ricotta cheese
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 yolk
  • 50 g of candied fruit (orange and citron)
  • Vanilla essence
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Icing sugar (for decorating)

Preparation

  1. Cook the rice: bring the milk to a boil with the lemon zest and cinnamon stick. Add the rice and cook on low heat until it is soft. If necessary, add more milk or water to prevent it from drying out too much. Remove the cinnamon and lemon zest and let cool.
  2. Prepare the shortcrust pastry: Roll out the shortcrust pastry into a thin layer and use it to line a baking pan (preferably with a springform) of about 24 cm in diameter. Prick the bottom with the tines of a fork.
  3. Create the mixture: In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the sugar until you have a smooth cream. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, the yolk, and the pinch of salt, blending well after each addition.
  4. Add rice and candied fruit: Add the cooled rice and the candied fruit, chopped into small pieces, to the ricotta mixture, along with a few drops of vanilla essence.
  5. Pour the filling: Pour the mixture into the pan lined with shortcrust pastry and level the surface with a spatula.
  6. Baking: Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 1 hour or until the pastiera has taken on a golden color and the surface is slightly swollen.
  7. Cooling and decoration: Let the pastiera cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.

Remember that rice pastiera is even better if consumed after at least one day of rest, this allows the flavors to blend better.

Curiosity

The pastiera is a typical dessert of the Neapolitan Easter tradition, and legend has it that it was born from the siren Partenope, who offered to the Neapolitans seven precious gifts symbolic of the treasures of the territory, then transformed into ingredients of the dessert.