If you’re planning on making an Italian Easter dinner, what would you serve? I’d definitely make Abbacchio Al Forno (roast baby lamb) for the main course. One side dish would be carciofi ripieni (stuffed artichokes). For dessert, I’d make pastiera napoletana, a grain and ricotta cake from Naples. That’s it in the above photo. Doesn’t it look delicious?
Like so many things Italian, la pastiera has a rich history. From the website Pastiera.com — yes, an entire website devoted to a single dessert — here’s the history:
The Pastiera, even if in a rudemental form, was used during the pagan celebrations of the return of the spring time. During these celebrations Cerere’s priestess brought an egg, symbol of new life in procession. Because of the wheat or the einkorn, mixed to the soft ricotta cheese, it could come from the einkorn bread called “confarratio” a typical recipe during the ancient Roman weddings called “confarratio”. Another hypothesis we may consider is that it comes from ritual bread used, which spread during the period of Costantino the Great. They were made of honey and milk the people offerd the catechumen during Easter Eve at the end of the ceremony of baptism. [continue reading here ... ]
This video demonstration for panetiera is fun, even if you don’t understand Italian!
RECIPE LINKS (from Epicurious)
Roast Baby Lamb
Stuffed Artichokes
Pastiera Napoletana
Yours in sampling Italy,
Barbara Fellini
