Avellino Rice Pastiera: History and Traditional Recipe

Irpinia is a land rich in culinary traditions. Among these, the rice pastiera is, even today, one of the most deeply rooted in the entire province, and its recipe is passed down from generation to generation, especially during the Easter holidays.

The history of Avellino’s rice pastiera

Culinary preparations have always been a very strong social glue, and they took place not only during the most important holidays, but every Sunday when baking bread was a common custom.

Let’s retrace, together with Signora Annunziata, the history of the rice pastiera, a typical Easter dessert. It was prepared on Maundy Thursday, the day on which all the families in the town prepared not only the pastiera, but also taralli, cakes, and biscuits of all kinds. “A wonderful smell wafted through the alleys, and we children happily helped with the preparation.” Annunziata tells us about these moments of togetherness that occurred not only within the family, but also between different families. She also explains that at the time, not everyone had their own oven, which is why the pastiera and other prepared dishes in general were cooked in a single, communal wood-fired oven.

To avoid confusion, during preparation, a symbol was placed on each dish, so as to be able to distinguish each family’s dish. The symbols were varied, and all echoed the arrival of Easter, ranging from crosses and ears of wheat to the more modern-looking chicks and bunnies. “At that time, many of us lived in the alleys of Capocastello. My family alone had seven children, and many uncles and aunts with just as many children lived near our house. We had a lot of fun and felt like one family.

We take it for granted now, but the culinary art has the power to unite and involve everyone, recalling the words of chef Marco Bianchi: “Cooking is the first act of love there is, both for ourselves and for those around us.

The traditional recipe for Easter rice pastiera

We Irpini have always loved passing on our traditions. This recipe was created through an interview with a grandmother of Mercogliano origins, Mrs. Annunziata, who inherited it from her grandmother Gabriella and is now preparing to pass it on with great emotion to her granddaughter, who welcomes it with a moved heart.

Ingredients

For the tart base:

• 300 g flour;
• 150 g sugar;
• 1 tablespoon lard;
• 2 eggs.

For the rice cream:

• 150 g rice;
• 200 g ricotta;
• 400 ml milk;
• 150 g sugar;
• 3 eggs;
• 1 teaspoon lard;
• cinnamon;
• orange blossom;
• 1 tablespoon streusel;
• orange peel lemon;

Method

1. First prepare the tart crust: in a saucepan, combine the sugar and lard. Once the mixture resembles sand, add the sifted flour and eggs. Mix until the dough forms a compact dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for about half an hour.
2. While the crust is resting in the refrigerator, prepare the rice cream: in a saucepan, cook the rice with the milk and lemon zest. Once the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, discard the lemon peel, add a teaspoon of lard, and let it cool.
3. In another bowl, sift the ricotta through a sieve—this will prevent lumps from forming in the cream—add the sugar and the egg yolks, previously separated from the whites.
4. Once the rice is cold, add the ricotta, sugar, and egg yolk mixture, the cinnamon, the orange blossom, and the Strega liqueur, and mix until the mixture is thick and smooth.
5. Incorporate the beaten egg whites into the resulting cream, using a bottom-up motion to prevent them from deflating.
6. Remove the tart base from the refrigerator and, using a rolling pin, roll out two thin sheets of pastry.
7. Place the first sheet of pastry in an aluminum pan lined with lard, pour the cream into the I roll it three-quarters of the way down and cover with the other sheet of pastry.
8. Bake in a static oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 50-60 minutes.
9. Serve cold with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Cooking is, above all, about feeling excited.

The aim of these insights is to bring back home traditions passed down through generations and to relive the emotions we ourselves have experienced through cooking.

The story we present is just one of many, and we hope to always find new ones, hoping that one day, in the distant future, our readers will also be able to experiment and pass on these recipes, so that we can feel a little bit like part of a big family.