Pastiera Napoletana

Along with sfogliatelle ricce, pastiera is the ultimate Neapolitan pastry. It is seen in all the pastry shops in Naples and is also very popular in Rome and throughout southern Italy.

Two versions of the filling are given here: one is very traditional, a combination of cooked wheat kernels, pastry cream, and ricotta. The second filling is less traditional and omits the pastry cream, making the preparation less time-consuming and somewhat less rich.

The wheat kernels a