The Pastiera Napoletana by Dolciaria Marigliano is the quintessential Neapolitan Easter dessert: a crisp shortcrust pastry shell filled with ricotta, cooked wheat and orange blossom. This 1.4 kg frozen cake is made in Campania and arrives ready to thaw and serve, yielding 12 to 16 portions of around 90-110 g each. Storage at -18 C, shelf life 300 days, allergens gluten, eggs and milk.
What the Neapolitan Pastiera is
The pastiera is a baked tart in which a fragrant shortcrust pastry encloses a creamy filling of sheep's milk ricotta, cooked wheat, sugar and the unmistakable scent of orange blossom. It is the symbolic dessert of the Neapolitan Easter, but its quality and long shelf life as a frozen product make it a year-round reference for professional kitchens. Each cake weighs a net 1.4 kg.
History and origin
The pastiera has been documented in Neapolitan Easter festivities since the 17th century: Giambattista Basile mentions it in La gatta Cenerentola, and in 1866 Francesco de Bourcard describes it in Usi e costumi di Napoli as the crowning glory of the festive banquet. The use of cooked wheat in the filling carries an ancient symbolic value linked to the Greco-Roman fertility cults of Ceres, celebrated at the spring equinox. The modern recipe is traditionally attributed to the Benedictine nuns of the San Gregorio Armeno convent in Naples, while popular legend credits the siren Partenope.
The producer: Dolciaria Marigliano
Dolciaria Marigliano SRL has been producing baked goods, fresh and frozen pastry in San Giuseppe Vesuviano, at the foot of Vesuvius near Naples, since 2006. The company specialises in cakes, semifreddi and frozen desserts for the Italian and export markets, applying continuous HACCP cold-chain monitoring. The pastiera reflects the Campanian pastry tradition transferred into a stable, professional frozen format.
Organoleptic profile
The pastry shell is golden and crumbly; the filling is dense and creamy, balanced between the lactic note of ricotta, the texture of cooked wheat grains and the floral, citrus aroma of orange blossom. When served correctly at room temperature, the fats of the ricotta soften and the citrus aromatics become volatile and expressive.
Technical specifications
Net weight 1.4 kg. Frozen product, stored at -18 C, with a maximum transport tolerance of plus or minus 3 C (product never above -15 C). Commercial shelf life 300 days from production. Ingredients based on shortcrust pastry, ricotta, cooked wheat, eggs and natural flavourings. Allergens: cereals containing gluten (wheat, cooked wheat), eggs and milk; may contain traces of peanuts, soy, nuts, hazelnut, almonds, pistachios, sulphites and mustard.
Professional uses
Ideal for the dessert trolley, the end-of-meal course and the bar counter. Thaw the whole cake slowly in a refrigerated cabinet at 0-4 C, then portion into 12-16 slices and bring each slice to room temperature before serving. Excellent plated with a dusting of icing sugar, served alongside an espresso or a glass of passito, or proposed as a single portion for breakfast and afternoon pastry service.
Pairings
Pairs naturally with a sweet liqueur such as Alchermes, brushed lightly over the slice in the Neapolitan tradition, or with a glass of Limoncello or sweet wine. On the pastry counter it complements other Italian desserts and Neapolitan baked specialities.
Common mistakes to avoid
Never serve the pastiera straight from the fridge at 4 C: the cold anaesthetises the palate, solidifies the noble fats of the ricotta and blocks the volatility of the orange blossom aromas. Never refreeze a thawed cake, for both food safety and texture. Do not confuse the pastiera with migliaccio, a Campanian carnival cake that uses semolina instead of cooked wheat grains.
Logistics and delivery by LAPA
LAPA distributes frozen Neapolitan pastry across Switzerland from its central climate-controlled warehouse in Embrach (Zurich), keeping the cold chain rigidly at -18 C. The proprietary LAPA multi-temperature fleet serves Zurich, Winterthur, Uster, Dubendorf, St. Gallen, Frauenfeld, Bern, Basel and Lucerne. For Ticino (Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno, Mendrisio), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg, Sion) and the Grisons (Chur, Davos, St. Moritz), safe frozen shipping is guaranteed in 24-48 hours via food-grade partner couriers (Swiss Post Frigo-Express, Planzer, Galliker, Camion Transport).
Who it is for
Designed for restaurants, pizzerias, gastronomies, hotels, bars, pastry shops and Italian grocery stores, as well as private customers, looking for an authentic Neapolitan Easter dessert available all year round in a reliable frozen format.
