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Pasteria Easter Cake

Traditional Italian Easter ricotta pie with a lattice crust
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup minute tapioca
  • 1/3 cup sugar for tapioca mixture
  • 1/4 tsp salt for tapioca mixture
  • 2 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg slightly beaten, for tapioca mixture
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon for tapioca mixture
  • 3 cup pastry flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon for pastry dough
  • 1/2 cup sugar for pastry dough
  • 1 pinch salt for pastry dough
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten, for pastry dough
  • 1/2 cup loaf lard
  • 1/2 tsp lemon rind grated
  • 2 1/2 lb ricotta
  • 2 cup sugar for filling, or sweeten to desire
  • 10 egg yolks
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon for filling
  • 1/4 tsp lemon rind grated, for filling
  • 1/2 cup candied citron and orange peel dried fine
  • 8 egg whites

Method
 

  1. 1. Step I - Tapioca Mixture: Blend tapioca, sugar, salt, milk, egg, and cinnamon. Let stand five minutes. Cook over medium heat, stir constantly. Cook 2 minutes past boiling. Remove from heat, add cinnamon and cool.
  2. 2. Step II - Pastry Dough: Sift dry ingredients into pastry board, make a well in center and place eggs, lard and lemon rind, work with hands until smooth. Chill for 30 minutes.
  3. 3. Step III - Ricotta Filling: Place ricotta in bowl and stir until very smooth, add sugar and egg yolk one at a time. Stir well after each egg. Add cinnamon, lemon peel, citron and orange peel. Blend well, add tapioca and ricotta mixture.
  4. 4. Step IV - Assembly: Take 2/3 of pastry and roll to thickness of a little more than 1/4 inch. Place in deep pie plate which has been buttered and floured. Cut rest of dough in strips and lay criss cross over pie. Pressing ends firmly, bake in 375 degree oven for 1 hour or until firm.

Notes

This is a traditional Italian Easter pie (Pastiera). The recipe uses loaf lard for the pastry. Sweeten ricotta filling to taste if desired.

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