Skip to main content

The Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf's Pastiera (Italian Wheat Pie) with a Twist


Four years ago, D was a huge fan of Cake Boss and heard them talk about Italian Wheat Pie; we made a version back then. I hadn't heard him mention it for years. But, in the past two weeks, he's been bugging to me to make a pastiera. As it's Spring Break, we have fewer commitments and he has more free time. So, I suggested he had time to do it. I helped...a little bit. When he decided to add a layer of frangipane to the bottom of the pie, I was excited. What a great twist!

Ingredients

Crust makes top and bottom 
  • 2-1/2 C flour
  • 1 T organic granulated sugar
  • 1 C butter (2 sticks), chilled and cubed
  • 1 t pure lemon extract
  • 1/2 C cold milk
Filling
  • 2 C whole milk ricotta
  • 2 C cooked wheat grains (we used farro)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 C organic brown sugar
  • 1 C frangipane (recipe below)
  • 1 t pure lemon extract
  • 1 t pure vanilla extract
Frangipane
  • 1 C ground almonds
  • 1/2 C organic granulated sugar
  • 1/4 C butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 t pure lemon extract
  • 1/2 t pure vanilla extract


Procedure

Crust
In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar. Add the butter cubes and pulse until chunks the size of small peas form. Pour in lemon extract and 1/4 cup of cold milk and pulse. Pour in another 1/4 cup of cold milk till the dough comes together in a ball. Turn out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and knead 2 to 3 times. Divide the dough into 2/3 and 1/3 - the larger ball will be the bottom crust, the smaller the top. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, approximately 1 hour.

Roll larger dough into bottom crust between two pieces of parchment paper. Transfer to your pie pan. Roll smaller dough into top crust and set aside. 

Frangipane
Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, or use a large bowl and a handheld mixer. Process until a thick paste forms. Reserve 1/4 C frangipane and spread the rest into the bottom of your pie crust.



Filling
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, sugar, eggs, 1/4 C frangipane, and extracts. Fold in the cooked grains until completely incorporated, then spoon into your crust. Place your top crust over the filling.


Crimp the edges together to seal the crust. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pie in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The top should be raised slightly and the crust nicely browned.


Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce