Pastiera, A Family Tradition
Pastiera is a Neapolitan tart usually eaten around Easter. Originating in Naples, Italy and viewed as a symbol of resurrection, Pastiera consists of wheat, eggs, ricotta cheese, and orange flower water.
It is said that the modern origins of Pastiera likely came from a Neapolitan covent. A nun wanted Pastiera, which has mythical origins from the times of Pagan festivities, celebrating the return of springtime. Eggs in Pastiera represent new life, while the fragrance of the water added in the cake contains an aroma of flowers in the springtime.
Family Secret
Pastiera is something most Italians love and remember from their childhood, but ironically, no one really knows how to make it. In fact, the recipe we use in my family was written right from my grandmother’s (Nanny) head. She had notes from the 1940’s, but they were partial, crossed out, ignored and basically unreadable. My grandfather (Poppy) would tell you it’s not really a cake, but a pastry. He also believed bakery’s made it, but they don’t really make it...it’s not the real Pastiera.
I'm not quite ready to share the recipe. In fact, it is part of the tradition we keep in the family for now. I’ll say it includes a lot of ricotta cheese, sugar, extracts, grain and a baking mindset to just have fun. This unlike most baking, is not chemistry, it’s more a passion dessert, made from love.
I’ve found a ton of recipes online, none of which match ours, but you can see all different versions that resemble the traditional pie from Naples.
Tradition
Baking pastiera is something my Nanny has done since before my father was born. In fact, as the story goes, it was a recipe on my Poppy’s side, which she was encouraged to make once they were married. As she got familiar with the ingredients and his annual commentary, she changed the recipe to fit our family and Easter traditions.
As a kid, Pastiera was just as big of a deal as Easter. It was our symbol that spring and Easter were here and our family was together. This pie, which in reality is a thick cake that sits in a 10-inch spring pan, may as well be the symbol on our family crest (even though my last name actually means hat).
For over 15 years now, Nanny and I get together to bake, fuss over the process, talk about the tradition and reminisce about Poppy’s annual critique. Oh yes, even though she baked the cake every year, Poppy was the official family taste tester. Then as we sat around our dinner table, he’d say things like:
“It’s good, but missing something.”
“It's not as moist as it was last year.”
“The taste is there, but it’s a little dry.”
Family
Even though I’m a self-proclaimed “chef” at home, my passion for baking pastiera doesn’t come from my love for cooking. I recognized a while ago that this was a tradition worth carrying on, and why couldn’t I learn how to do it? In doing so, I’d show my grandparents we’d carry this on to more generations and in the process create a lot of fun memories along the way.
It would be easy to skip a few years or stop as life has gotten busier. My family has grown and other responsibilities pull me in different directions. The truth is all of those things are reasons why it is so important to continue the tradition. Not just making the pie, but ensuring Nanny and I come together each year to make it. Good thing we do, because even at 99-years-old, she catches me making at least one mistake every year.
We missed last year due to Covid-19, the first time we didn't bake or eat Pastiera in decades. So, this year we made sure to prioritize it in a safe way. My sister-in-law, who has been helping for years, and I planned a day to go to Nanny’s, and I got to bring my three-year-old daughter to watch and help us as well. Between myself, Nanny, my parents and my daughter, we had four generations chipping in just a year after we could have easily stopped all together. Even my nephews came to help and also occupy my daughter when she got bored.
In a few days, we’ll sit and fuss over the cake, and Nanny will make sure everyone has a taste. No one will really critique it like Poppy used to, but we’ll all take turns predicting what he would have said had he been around today to taste it. He’d probably tease us, but in his heart and head know that he and Nanny did right, keeping the family together and keeping traditions alive.
And that’s exactly what family is all about.
Mangiare...