Rice pastiera

The gluten-free rice pastiera is as good as the traditional one and perfect not only for those who suffer from celiac disease.

Rice pastiera is the gluten-free variant of the traditional Neapolitan recipe. In this case, following a gluten-free diet is really easy: to prepare this recipe it will be sufficient to use a gluten-free shortcrust pastry base and create the filling with rice rather than traditional cooked wheat.
The characteristic aromas of this dessert will remain unchanged: orange and lemon flowers will give the gluten-free pastiera its characteristic flavour. Let's find out together how to prepare this recipe!

How to prepare gluten-free Neapolitan rice pastiera

1. First we prepare the shortcrust pastry base . Combine the two flours in a bowl, or create the classic fountain.
2. Add 100 g of sugar and 120 g of cold butter from the fridge in cubes, mix everything with your fingertips until you obtain a sandy mixture.
3. Add 2 eggs, lemon zest and 1 pinch of salt, then mix quickly until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
4. Take the dough and place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour wrapped in cling film .
5. In the meantime, prepare the filling starting from the rice cream . Place about half the milk taken from the total in a saucepan to heat, together with a piece of lemon zest and a piece of orange zest.
6. Add the remaining butter and vanilla essence and bring to the boil.
7. When the milk is just about to boil , remove the zest , add the rice and cook it over a very low heat, adding all the milk little by little.
8. Wait until it becomes a sort of creamy risotto, then turn off the heat and leave to cool .
9. Now prepare the ricotta cream . Let the dairy product drain for a few hours, or squeeze it well in a clean cloth.
10. Place the ricotta in a bowl together with the remaining sugar and mix well with a fork.
11. Add the grated zest of half a lemon, the remaining eggs, the cinnamon and the orange blossom water.
12. Mix everything until you obtain a cream, then add the rice and candied fruit.
13. Take the shortcrust pastry and roll it out to a thickness of about 1 cm , then transfer it to a 22-24 cm diameter pan .
14. Prick the bottom with a fork, then transfer the filling.
15. Work the leftover dough, roll it out and use a pastry cutter to form the characteristic stripes .
16. Decorate the surface of the pastiera and cook in the oven at 170°C for around 60-70 minutes (a lot also depends on the performance of your oven).

The variant with boiled rice

There are those who prepare the pastiera by working the rice in a different way, that is, boiling it in water for about 20 minutes (if we are talking about Originario, Carnaroli or Arborio rice), and only then putting it in the pan for a second cooking with milk.

It seems that this version helps to have a much softer filling , however we are also satisfied with the first method. All you have to do is test both versions and decide for yourself which one is right for you.

The rice pastiera should be served the day after preparation: it will be perfect for your Easter menu . Also try all our Easter desserts !

storage

The pastiera is much better if you can wait (at least) the next day before enjoying it. Store it at room temperature for about 5/7 days or freeze it in slices.

Other recipes for celiacs? Also try the gluten-free croissants !