Best 4 Easter Wheat Pie Pastiera Di Grano Recipes

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Easter wheat pie or pastiera di grano is a sweet Italian pie made with cooked wheat, ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, candied orange and lemon zest, vanilla, and cinnamon. It is a traditional dish served during the Easter season in Italy and is often associated with the springtime. This delicious and unique pie has a rich history and is loved by many people around the world. In this article, we will provide you with some of the best and most authentic pastiera di grano recipes that you can try at home.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

MARIA'S EASTER (WHEAT) PIE/"PASTIERA DI GRANO"



Maria's Easter (Wheat) Pie/

This has been our family's traditional Easter dessert since long before I came into being. My grandmother (Maria) made it every year until she turned 78 and then declared "it was too much work." So that was the year (1970), I took over this traditional "labor of love." I still make it every Easter, exactly the same way she did. Here is her recipe. The Prep Time includes all the cooking, the 24 hour soaking time for the "dry" wheat, and chilling of the dough. The Cook Time is the actual baking time for the pies. Requires Two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans (I prefer Pyrex, because you can see how brown the bottom of the crust is).

Provided by Dee514

Categories     Pie

Time P1DT3h

Yield 2 Pies (8 servings per pie), 16 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

18 ounces whole milk
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemons, rind of
1/2 cup finely minced candied citron peel (well rinsed and drained before mincing) (optional)
2 cups cooked wheat (about 1/2-3/4 pound of dry wheat should = 2 cups cooked) or 1 1/2-2 cups cooked drained arborio rice
1/2 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
8 large eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar (cut sugar by 1/2 cup if using the citron)
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemons, rind of
1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese (drained if very wet)
1/2-3/4 cup butter
3 eggs or 2 extra large egg yolks
2 1/2-3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon, rind of

Steps:

  • ***PreparingThe Wheat: If"soaked" or"precooked" wheat is not available, dry wheat may be used.
  • Cover the dry wheat with cold water (water should be about 2 inches over the wheat) and boil it for 15 minutes or until the wheat berries crack open.
  • Remove pan from heat and allow wheat to soak for a full 24 hours.
  • After soaking, drain well before using in steps#17-19.
  • If"soaked"/"precooked" wheat is used, add the wheat to a pan of boiling water and cook it for about 5-10 minutes (most of the wheat berries should be open and they should be chewy but tender).
  • Drain well, let cool and use for steps#17-19.
  • Crust: Mix flour, sugar and lemon peel together in a bowl.
  • Work butter into flour using your fingers (until it is the size of peas).
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon.
  • Knead the dough lightly until it holds together well and clears the bowl.
  • Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill it for about 1/2- 1 hour before using.
  • Cream: Fill the bottom of a double boiler with enough water so that its insert doesn't quite touch the water; bring the water to a boil.
  • Mix the whole milk, egg yolks, sugar, flour, lemon peel and citron together in the insert of the double boiler which has been set in to the bottom pan.
  • Cook the"cream," stirring constantly until it has thickened and is the consistency of a thick pudding (about 20-30 minutes).
  • Remove the insert from the boiling water and set aside to allow the"cream" to cool, stir occasionally to keep a skin from forming.
  • Note: I sometimes put the insert pan with the"cream" mixture into a bowl of very cold water, to help it cool down faster, don't forget to stir it.
  • Wheat: Add the (cooked, soaked, well drained) wheat to a saucepan with the milk and butter.
  • Cook the wheat mixture, stirring occasionally until the butter melts, and mixture starts to boil; boil for 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Prepare Pans: On a lightly floured board, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8 inch thick and line the bottom and sides of two lightly buttered 9-inch glass cake pans.
  • Leave a 1/2 inch overhang of dough if you are going to use the lattice top.
  • If not using the lattice, trim the overhang to 1/4 inch.
  • Re-roll scraps and cut into 1/2 inch wide strips to use as a lattice top for the pie.
  • (If you prefer, the lattice can be omitted.) Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Ricotta Filling: Mix ricotta, eggs, sugar and lemon peel together in a large bowl.
  • Beat mixture by hand, with a wooden spoon, until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the"cream" mixture and the wheat mixture to the ricotta filling, stirring until all is well blended.
  • Pour or ladle the filling into prepared pans (to within 1/4 inch of the top of the pan).
  • For The Lattice: place the strips of dough across the filling, spaced about 1 inch apart (at right angles) forming a lattice top.
  • Fold the 1/2 inch overhang over the edges of the lattice and flute well.
  • If not making the lattice top, fold the 1/4 inch overhang on to itself, and lightly flute.
  • Bake pies in a preheated 350°F oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bottom of the crust is light brown, the center is set, and the top of the pies are golden.
  • Turn off oven and let the pies cool for an hour in the oven with the oven door slightly (about 2 inches) ajar.
  • Remove pies from oven and place on a wire rack.
  • When completely cooled, cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until serving.
  • If you like, you can give the pie tops a light sprinkle of powdered sugar before serving.
  • Note: Its best to served this pie directly from the pan, as trying to plate the whole pie is more trouble than its worth, and causes breakage.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 532.1, Fat 18.4, SaturatedFat 10.1, Cholesterol 203.9, Sodium 169.3, Carbohydrate 80.1, Fiber 3.3, Sugar 47.7, Protein 13.8

EASTER WHEAT PIE (PASTIERA DI GRANO) RECIPE - (4.3/5)



Easter Wheat Pie (Pastiera Di Grano) Recipe - (4.3/5) image

Provided by slurpey7

Number Of Ingredients 19

PIE CRUST:
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon milk
FILLING:
1 Can Asti wheat
1/4 cup hot (scalded milk)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 pounds Ricotta cheese
6 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon orange water
1/4 cup diced citron
1/4 diced orange peels (can use half lemon and half orange for good flavor)
4 egg whites, beaten stiff
1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps:

  • Pie crust: Sift flour and sugar into a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or with fingertips to distribute butter evenly through flour. Stir in egg yolks one at a time, mixing with wooden spoon. Work with hands until dough is manageable. Add milk to hold together. Turn into a lightly floured board and knead until smooth. Form into a ball and chill 30 minutes. Then divide the ball in two. Roll out on lightly floured board to about 1/4 thick (large enough to line a deep 10" pie plate). Butter pie plate an line with pastry leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Roll out other piece of dough and cut into 1/4 inch strips for lattice work topping. Filling: In scalded milk, mix can of wheat 1/4 teaspoon salt and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add citron and orange peel, set aside. Meanwhile beat ricotta and 1 cup of sugar then add 6 egg yolks, vanilla and orange water. Blend well. Stir in prepared wheat. Then fold-in beaten 4 egg whites. Pour into pie shell. Arrange strips criss-cross over filling to edge and flute heavily. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until firm in center. Let cool in oven with door open. Serve sprinkled with confectioners sugar.

PASTIERA DI GRANO



Pastiera Di Grano image

Make and share this Pastiera Di Grano recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Phil Franco

Categories     Pie

Time 1h30m

Yield 1 pie, 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

2 cups all-purpose flour or 2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar or 3/4 cup Splenda sugar substitute
1/2 cup unsalted butter or 3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar or 1/2 cup Splenda sugar substitute
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 quart milk
1 lb ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can cooked wheat berries (found in Italian specialty shops)
dilute the wheat berries with 1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon orange flour water or 1 teaspoon orange juice
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup candied citron peel, finely diced
1/4 cup brandy (any kind)

Steps:

  • For the Crust:
  • Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in 1/4 cup of milk.
  • Mix all the ingredients well. Knead for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Shape into a round disk 1/4 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Roll out the dough to fit into 12 1/2 X 1 1/2 inch pie tin.
  • For the Pastry Cream:
  • Beat the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and egg yolks with a wire whisk in a large saucepan.
  • Place on medium heat, add the milk, and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and refrigerate. Meanwhile make the filling.
  • For the Filling:
  • Beat all the ingredients well. Fold in the pastry cream. Pour into a prepared pie tin. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F
  • Allow to cool. This can be frozen and thawed to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 842.6, Fat 34.6, SaturatedFat 21, Cholesterol 214.2, Sodium 218.1, Carbohydrate 106.2, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 58.9, Protein 20.3

PASTIERA DI PASQUA (ITALIAN EASTER TART WITH RICOTTA)



Pastiera di Pasqua (Italian Easter Tart with Ricotta) image

This orange-flavored Italian Easter tart recipe is a classic dessert from Naples. Sometimes referred to as a "Neapolitan grain pie", pastiera di pasqua is made with cooked wheat grains and ricotta cheese.

Provided by Nesrine

Categories     Holidays and Events Recipes     Easter     Desserts

Time 2h45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 ⅓ cups cooked wheat grains
¾ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium lemons, zested, divided
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 ¾ cups white sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon orange flower water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup chopped candied orange peel
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, or more to taste

Steps:

  • Bring wheat grains, milk, butter, and 1/2 of the lemon zest to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Simmer until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 11-inch tart pan.
  • Combine ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, orange flower water, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in remaining lemon zest and candied orange peel. Fold in wheat mixture and mix filling until well combined.
  • Roll out 1 sheet puff pastry on a lightly floured surface so it will fit into the tart pan. Place pastry in the pan and spoon filling on top. Roll out the second puff pastry sheet and cut into 3/4-inch thick strips. Layer a lattice pattern on top of the filling and brush with beaten egg.
  • Bake tart in the preheated oven until filling is set and lattice is lightly browned, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool inside the tart pan, at least 1 hour.
  • Carefully unmold tart, transfer onto a cake platter. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 721.5 calories, Carbohydrate 95.8 g, Cholesterol 143.6 mg, Fat 32.5 g, Fiber 3.6 g, Protein 15.5 g, SaturatedFat 10.8 g, Sodium 256.6 mg, Sugar 46.5 g

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients for the best flavor and texture. Look for fresh ricotta, eggs, and butter, and use a good-quality wheat flour.
  • Make sure the pastry dough is well-chilled before rolling it out. This will help prevent it from tearing.
  • Blind-bake the pastry dough before filling it. This will help prevent it from becoming soggy.
  • Don't overfill the pie. The filling should come to about 1 inch below the rim of the pie crust.
  • Bake the pie until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown. This usually takes about 1 hour.
  • Let the pie cool completely before slicing and serving. This will help the filling to set and firm up.

Conclusion:

Pastiera di grano is a delicious and festive dessert that is perfect for Easter or any other special occasion. With its rich, creamy filling and flaky crust, it is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a special dessert to make, give pastiera di grano a try. You won't be disappointed!

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