Pastiera : Neapolitan Easter Pie aka Ricotta Cake (A Cake A Week # 6)

Celebrating Easter with food and crafts was all over the blogs. and though we do not celebrate Easter, the excitement around found its way in and I decided to indulge.I baked a traditional Italian Easter dessert, Pasteria also known as the Ricotta Cake. This is a delicious dessert made with creamy ricotta, eggs and arborio rice cooked in whole milk with a hint of cinnamon. Apparently, this dessert originated in Naples and there are several versions of it. I choose to baked the Martha Stewart version which I found at Our Italian Table and we were delighted at the outcome. 

Since I was baking the cake for just the two of the three of us, Mr MN, baby and me, initially I scaled down the recipe to one-third. however, because of my inexperience with  arborio rice, I found it difficult to cook as directed in the recipe. so, half way through the cooking I made some  minor changes. also, it had actually become quite late by the time i finished cooking the rice, so i refrigerated it right away and proceeded to make the cake the next day. thankfully none of that spoilt the cake and we relished it very much for our Sunday brunch.

now a quick look at my bake of the week and then off to the recipe...

Recipe Adapted from Our Italian Table

ingredients 

1 +1/3 + 3/4 cups whole milk

1/4 cup arborio rice 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt1 tespoon vanilla extract
3/4 +1/8 cups granulated sugarUnsalted butter, for pan

All-purpose flour, for pan

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 large whole egg + 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

chopped almonds and raisins

for the garnish

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Strawberry sauce (recipe given below)

what i did.

I started by boiling 1 + 1/3 cup of milk in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. when the milk started boiling, i stirred in the rice, cinnamon and salt. then reduced the heat to medium low and cooked, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. however my rice did not become tender in the time mentioned in the recipe, though most of the milk had evaporated. so i added about 1/4 cup of milk and stirred. and then repeated the process 2 more times till the rice became tender and creamy and all the liquid was absorbed.

i then added the 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla extract and refrigerated the cooked rice till next morning. ( note that refrigerating was not part of original recipe but i did so because it was pretty late and this did not meddle with the final product.)

next morning, i preheated the oven to 350 degree F, buttered and floured my 6 inch spring-foam pan, then combined the cooked rice with ricotta, the whole egg, the egg yolk and the remaining sugar. finally i poured the battered into the prepared pan, sprinkled the chopped almonds and raisin on top and baked for 75-80 minutes, until the surface of the cake looked golden and firm.

i then took the pa out and let the cake cool completely before transferring it into my inverted rubbermaid box and refrigerating till Sunday brunch.

On Sunday I served the cake with Martha Stewart's Strawberry Sauce.

For the sauce, i microwaved 3/4 cup frozed strawberry + 1 teaspoon sugar + freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 a lemon. The combination was refreshing and we really enjoyed it... and Easter or not around here we'll certainly be having lots of this...

Happy Baking and have a nice week !

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Cake of the Week @ Casa Costello

Saturday Dishes @ The Tumbleweed Contessa, Mix it Up Monday @ Flour Me with Love, 

Flavors of Cuisine ~ Italian, an event announced by Julie of Erivum Puliyum and hosted by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes,  FR Event ~ Bookmarked recipes, an event announced by Swathi of Zesty South India Kitchen and hosted by Pallavi of Cook, Eat, Burp.

Monday Food:  Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks, Mop it up Monday @ I should be Mopping the Floor, Meatless Monday @Veggie Mama's,  Meatless Monday My Sweet and Savory, Just Another Meatless Monday @ Hey What's for Dinner Mom

Tuesday Food:  Tempt my Tummy @Blessed with Grace, Totally Tasty Tuesday @ Mandy's Recipe Box, Tasteful Tuesday Party @ Nap Time Creations,  Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home,  Hand Made Tuesday @ Ladybug Blessings, Share it Link Party @ Winthrop Chronicles, Wow Me Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday @ Confessions of Overworked Mom, Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain ,  Wednesday Whatsit @White Lights on , Show and Share @ Semi Homemade Mom, Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ Home Take 2, Seasonal Celebration @ Natural Mother's Network, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop : 145, Thursday Food:Link it Up Thursday @ Seven Alive, Creative Thursday @ Michelle's Tasty Creations, Fantastic Thursday @ Three Little Chiefs, Thriving on Thursdays @ Domesblissity, Tasty Thursdays @ The Mandatory Mooch, Freedom Friday @ My Turn, Spicy Thursday @ DC in Style
Friday Food: Foodie Friday @ Home Maid Simple, Friday Favorite (DYI too) @ Simple Sweet Home, Foodie Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes,  Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm , Weekend Wonders @ The Thriftiness Miss, Friday Food Frenzy @ Mostly Food and Crafts , Weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club,  The Weekend re-Treat @The Best Blog  Recipes