Pastiera Napoletana (Neapolitan Easter Tart)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Vanilla: Extract Medium

Pastiera Napoletana (Neapolitan Easter Tart)

A sweet shortcrust shell filled with ricotta, cooked wheat berries and candied citrus, finished with a pastry lattice. It improves after a day in the refrigerator. Makes 10 slices in about 10 hr 20 min.

Prep 50 min

Cook 90 min

Cooling 8 hr

Total 10 hr 20 min

Yield 10 slices

Ingredients

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slices

2 ⅓ cups (300 g)all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (150 g)cold butter, cubed
½ cup (100 g)sugar, for the crust
1 (50 g)egg
1 (18 g)egg yolk
1 tsplemon zest
2 cups (350 g)cooked wheat (grano cotto), from a jar, drained
1 cup (250 ml)whole milk
1 ½ tbsp (20 g)butter
12 ½ oz (350 g)ricotta, well drained
1 ¼ cups (250 g)sugar, for the filling
3 (150 g)eggs
2 (36 g)egg yolks
⅔ cup (80 g)candied citron and orange peel, finely chopped
2 tsporange blossom water
1 tspvanilla extract
½ tspground cinnamon

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Instructions

Rub the butter into the flour and sugar, mix in the egg, yolk and zest, and press into a dough. Chill 1 hour.
Simmer the wheat, milk, butter and a little zest for 20 minutes until thick and creamy. Cool completely.
Heat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Roll most of the dough to fit a buttered 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan, keeping a third for the lattice.
Whisk the ricotta with the sugar until smooth, then beat in the eggs and yolks, orange blossom water, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir in the cooled wheat and candied peel.
Pour into the crust. Cut the remaining dough into strips and lay them across the top in a diamond lattice.
Bake 70 to 80 minutes, covering with foil if the top darkens, until the filling is set and reaches 160 F (71 C) in the center.
Cool completely in the pan, then chill overnight so the flavors settle before serving.

Tips

Drain the ricotta in a sieve for several hours so the filling stays creamy rather than watery.
Do not rush the overnight rest; it makes the orange blossom bloom.
Arborio rice can stand in for the wheat.
Ricotta and egg filling must reach 160 F (71 C); keep refrigerated.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make pastiera napoletana (neapolitan easter tart)?

Plan on 50 minutes of prep and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking, plus 8 hours to chill. The recipe makes 10 slices.

How should I store pastiera napoletana (neapolitan easter tart)?

Refrigerate, covered, up to 5 days; serve at cool room temperature.

Can I make pastiera napoletana (neapolitan easter tart) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract. Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

The traditional Easter tart of Naples, flavored with orange blossom water and cooked wheat. Serve it with sweet dessert wine.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 10 servings this recipe makes.

555 Calories / serving

23.0g Fat

74.9g Carbs

12.7g Protein

42.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (10 servings): ~5550 cal · 230g fat · 749g carbs · 127g protein · 424g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.