Easter Wheat Pie (Pastiera Di Grano)

By dgorgone

Ingredients

• Pie Crust -
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tblspn milk
• Filling -
• 1 Can Asti Wheat
• 1/4 cup hot (scalded milk)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 lbs. Ricotta Cheese
• 6 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 tablespoon orange water
• 1/4 cup diced citron
• 1/4 cup diced orange peel (can use half lemon and half orange for good flavor)
• 4 egg whites (beaten stiff)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Details

Adapted from keyingredient.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pie Crust - Sift flour and sugar into a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or with fingertips to distribute butter evenly through flour. Stir in egg yolks one at at ime, mixing with wooden spoon. Work with hands until dough is manageable. Add milk to hold together. Turn into a lightly floured board and knead until smooth. Form into a ball and chill 30 minutes. Then divide the ball in two. Roll out on lightly floured board to about 1/4 thick (large enough to line a deep 10" pie plate). Butter pie plate an line with pastry leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Roll out other piece of dough and cut into 1/4 inch strips for lattice work topping.

Filling
In scalded milk, mix can of wheat 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add citron and orange peel, set aside. Meanwhile beat ricotta and 1 cup of sugar then add 6 egg yolks, vanilla and orange water. Blend well. Stir in prepared wheat. Then fold-in beaten 4 egg whites. Pour into pie shell. Arrange strips criss-cross over filling to edge and flute heavily. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until firm in center. Let cool in oven with door open. Serve sprinkled with confectioners sugar.