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Pastiera Napoletana

Pastiera Napoletana
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Filling
  1. 1 Cup Grano Cotto wheat berries or cooked arborio
  2. 200 ml oat milk or other creamy non-dairy milk that doesn't have a strong flavour
  3. 2 Tbsp vegan butter flavoured margarine
  4. zest of 1 organic lemon
  5. The equivalent of 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
  6. 2 Cups vegan ricotta (see note)
  7. 1 3/4 cups caster sugar
  8. 1 tsp vanilla essence
  9. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  10. 1 tbsp orange blossom water
  11. 1/2 Cup mixed candied citrus (lemon and/or orange), finely chopped
  12. icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
Pastry
  1. 1⅔ cups unbleached white flour
  2. 1 Cup icing sugar
  3. 1/2 Cup cold vegan butter flavoured margarine
  4. Equivalent of 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
  5. zest of 1 organic lemon
Instructions
  1. Please note. While it is not absolutely necessary, it is ideal to prepare the ingredients for this cake the day before baking it, in order for the flavours to really absorb. If it's not possible for you to wait overnight to bake it, try to give at least a few hours for the 3 mixtures to rest before cooking.
Pastry
  1. Sift the flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl.
  2. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add the egg/egg yolk replacer and lemon zest, and knead just until the mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to chill.
Filling
  1. Place the Grano Cotto, oat milk, margarine and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Bring to a gentle boil and stir for 10 minutes or until it becomes thick like porridge.
  3. Transfer to a large bowl, allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight, allowing the flavours to infuse.
  4. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer or a fork, beat the egg/egg yolk replacer, vegan ricotta, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and orange blossom water. It should be creamy but liquidy, with no lumps. Leave this mixture overnight to rest.
  5. Preheat oven to 390ºF/200ºC.
  6. Grease a round cake tin. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and place in the tin. Cut off any overhang and add to the remaining pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry. With a pastry wheel or knife, cut long strips about 3/4 inch wide.
  7. Fold the cooled grain mixture, rested ricotta mixture and finely chopped candied citrus in a large bowl, then transfer to the cake pan and trim the pastry to the level of the mixture. Now add your lattice top. Press the lattice strips to the edge of the pastry very gently.
  8. Bake for 50–60 minutes. Allow to cool completely (ideally, you would leave it to cool and rest overnight if possible, but not necessary)
  9. Sift icing sugar over the top before serving.
Notes
  1. Traditionally, this Italian Easter cake is cooked no later than Good Friday to ensure the ingredients have enough time to infuse before Easter Sunday.
  2. Grano Cotto (cooked wheat berries) is usually available in most Italian grocery stores. If you can’t find wheat berries, pearl barley or arborio would be a good substitute.
  3. I believe that some stores might sell vegan ricotta but I've never seen it so I just make it myself.
  4. https://sweetvegan.net/vegan-ricotta
Sweet Vegan Living https://sweetvegan.net/
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4 Comments on “Pastiera Napoletana

  1. Hey Jen – what do you use as a yolk replacer? I’d be tempted to aquafaba/chickpea flour it, but curious what you use.

    1. Hi Jane! For this recipe I use a powdered egg replacer. They have suggestions of altered measurements depending on if you
      are going for the consistency of whole egg, egg white or egg yolk.

  2. It turned out well, little bit too sweet for me. I will try with lower amount of sugar in the filling. Other than that not very different from the Italian non vegan version. Yummy!

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