Neapolitan Wheat Pie

Method

1. Prepare the pastry: mix flour, soft butter, icing sugar, egg yolks, a pinch of salt, and grated lemon zest until you get a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. For the filling: place the cooked wheat in a saucepan with milk, lemon peels, and a vanilla bean (or substitute with vanilla aroma). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes creamy.
3. Remove the lemon peels. Add vanilla aroma and candied fruit. Optionally, blend the mixture with an immersion blender to your desired consistency.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together. Add the ricotta and the cooked wheat mixture. Add aromas: vanillin, orange flower water, and millefiori aroma. Mix until smooth and creamy.
5. Roll out the chilled pastry to about 0.5 cm thickness. Line a buttered and floured 24–26 cm mold, making sure the edges are pressed well. Trim excess pastry and save it for the top strips.
6. Pour the filling into the pastry shell, leaving about 1 cm from the top to allow for rising during baking.
7. Use the saved pastry to cut strips and arrange them on top of the filling in a lattice or simple crisscross pattern.
8. Bake in a preheated fan oven at 175°C (350°F) until golden and set, about 45–50 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
9. Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool in the mold. After a few minutes, trim any burnt edges with a knife. Let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight for best texture.
10. The next day, remove the pastiera from the mold, place on a serving plate, and dust generously with icing sugar before serving.