Neapolitan pastiera

Step 1

Prepare the base of the pastry by kneading all the ingredients until a soft mixture is obtained. Wrap the mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Pour the milk into a saucepan, add the pre-cooked wheat and the lard or butter. Grate the zest of an untreated lemon and mix the ingredients well. Bring to a simmer over low heat and stir until you get a thick and rather thick cream (if you prefer a smooth and creamy filling, you can chop the wheat skins using an immersion blender). Once the wheat cream is ready, pour it into a large bowl and let it cool. Meanwhile, work the eggs with the sifted ricotta, sugar, cinnamon and herbs, until you get a rather fluid and lump-free cream. Add the mixture with the wheat to this cream, mix and add the candied fruit. At this point, take back the shortcrust pastry, keeping a piece aside which will be used for the lozenges. Spread it out with a lot of flour and cover the 30 cm diameter pasta mold. Pour the filling obtained until you reach the edges of the pastry. With the dough kept aside, make the lozenges with the help of the dividing roller e decora Pastiera. Bake at 170 ° C (static) for about 90 minutes; the cake must cook slowly and will be cooked only when the surface is golden brown. Let it cool well in the mold. Once cold, sprinkle with icing sugar.