Pastiera with strawberry sauce
Instructions:
- Pastiera, a traditional Neopolitan Easter “pie,†is actually a type of cheesecake. Though no two recipes are alike, all contain ricotta cheese and a sweetened grain (usually rice or wheat berries), symbolizing spring’s fertility.
- 1 quart whole milk
- 3/4 cup arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter, for the pan
- All-purpose flour, for the pan
- 3 pounds fresh ricotta cheese, drained 3 hours or, preferably, overnight
- 3 whole large eggs plus 3 large yolks, lightly beaten
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- Strawberry Sauce
- Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla bean. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the rice is very tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Cover; let cool, stirring occasionally. Discard the vanilla bean.
- Preheat the oven to 350ï€ F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, combine the rice mixture, ricotta, whole eggs and egg yolks, and remaining 1/ 2 cup sugar. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until golden on top and almost set in the center, 65 to 70 minutes; cover with foil if starting to brown too much. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack.
- When the cake has completely cooled, run a knife around the edge to loosen. Gently remove the ring; transfer the cake to a serving platter. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with sauce.