Traditional, with chocolate, in jars: whatever shape and taste it has, There is no doubt that the pastiera is the protagonist of this Easter 2021. The popularity of this typical dessert of the Campania tradition is growing, and is affecting the overwhelming power of the more Nordic dove.
Because the truth is that party desserts in Italy have always seemed to play a two-way challenge. Despite the enormous variety of ancient regional recipes, when it comes to large numbers, nothing beats the panettone-pandoro combination at Christmas, nor the chocolate egg-dove at Easter.
Obviously, on the very rich family tables set for the holidays there is always room for something else, in the name of good old all-Italian abundance. But the podium is always played with two.
However, it must be said that we are always rediscovering something new in gastronomic terms. Something tasty, which makes our party lunch different from all the others. So, even if a dove and an Easter egg cannot be missing, a third competitor in the category of inevitable sweets is starting to make room: the pastiera, in fact.
The pastiera: history and origins
As always happens with traditional recipes, the origins of the pastiera are difficult to ascertain. It seems that it was invented by the nuns of the convent of San Gregorio Armeno in the sixteenth century, probably elaborating much older and simpler recipes based on milk and ricotta. What is known is that the pastiera was certainly already famous at the court of Maria Cristina of Savoy, wife of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon, known as “the Queen who never smiles”. The story goes that the noblewoman gave in to a smile on the occasion of the first taste of a pastiera, making her husband exclaim: “now I will have to wait until next Easter to see her smile!”.
The lack of certainty about the origins of the pastiera, then, contributed to the birth of many fables and legends that tell it poetically. Like the one that starred chef Cristoforo Trapani (who gave us his pastiera recipe) and which tells of how the Neapolitans wanted to pay homage to the mermaid Partenope for her beautiful song, bringing her seven ingredients as a gift that she put together to magically give life to this dessert.
Pastiere at home: many chefs and pastry chefs in the field
Neapolitan Easter cake par excellence, the pastiera is therefore experiencing a real moment of glory. Until recently, this ricotta and cooked wheat cake was a family preparation that rarely went outside the regional borders of Campania. Today, however, more and more chefs and pastry chefs from all over Italy are trying their hand at this recipe, making it more and more popular and in demand. Certainly thanks to the popularity of some of them, first of all Antonino Cannavacciuolo who, as a good Neapolitan, has told all of Italy that scent of orange blossom and cinnamon that emanates from the oven when a pastiera is cooking. But there is not only the good Antonino to offer his pastiera on the market (this year in a mini version in pots): thanks to the success of this delicious dessert, there are several chefs and pastry chefs who have activated to send their pasta dishes at home.
ALL THE PASTIERE TO RECEIVE AT HOME IN THE GALLERY ABOVE

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