Casatiello Neapoletano: the goodness of a rustic Easter product

There’s not much time left until Easter, and as per tradition on Holy Thursday, Neapolitan women will get to work in their kitchens to prepare the typical Neapolitan rustic Easter products. Among the star dishes on the tables, the casatiello is undoubtedly the most loved by Neapolitans, not only for its irresistible flavor but especially for its great symbolic value: it is indeed the dish that celebrates the resurrection of Christ. The strips of bread that cage the eggs within the dough represent the cross on which Jesus died and his crown of thorns.

Stuffed with many delicacies, it is served as breakfast or snack during the Easter festivities. It is perfect for a packed lunch on Easter Monday when it is common to organize trips out of town. It is prepared on the Friday before Easter Sunday because it needs to rise overnight and then be cooked on Saturday morning. Discover with us the history, recipes of sweet or savory casatiello, and the egg-free version proposed by Spaghetti e Mandolino. If there’s one good and precious thing, from the colomba to the pigna pisquale, passing through the casatiello, you can be sure to find it on our portal dedicated to the best of Italian gastronomy!

Neapolitan Casatiello, the origins of the mythical Easter pastry

The term “Casatiello” derives from “caso,” which in Neapolitan means cheese. It is the cheese, especially Pecorino, that is the basis of Casatiello, whose quantity inside is truly remarkable. Historically, it has been prepared since the 17th century during the Easter period, when village women would gather together bringing cheeses and salamis of all kinds and incorporating them into the dough. This is why inside the Casatiello it is possible to find many types of cheeses and salamis. Wherever you are, whether in a bakery in Northern Italy or in a shop in the South, it is possible to taste, especially during Easter time, this rustic ring with a unique aroma.

The Casatiello has very ancient origins; there is even evidence of it in the work “La gatta Cenerentola” by Gianbattista Basile from 1634. The writer recounts the celebrations of the King for finding the maiden who lost her slipper and stole his heart. It is prepared on the occasion of Easter because, in the past, few could afford certain foods considered the food of the rich. The only exceptions were Christmas and Easter. It was during this time of year that the lower-class people sought to resemble, even if only a little, the wealthier individuals. Women would gather to knead together, creating a nice moment of companionship after the work that was often done in solitude at home or in the fields. Some would knead, some would focus on cutting salamis and cheeses, and others would light the wood-fired oven in the courtyards, where all the women would take turns baking the casatiello.

The classic casatiello is rich with salamis and cheeses inside and garnished with raw eggs on the surface, but it is possible to find many revisitations, such as the sweet version; it’s just a matter of deciding!

Neapolitan Casatiello, the traditional recipe

If you have some time and enjoy getting to work in the kitchen, here are the recipes to prepare a savory and a sweet casatiello! Here are the ingredients to make your savory casatiello:

Water 375 g

Flour 00 650 g

Fresh yeast 10 g

Fine salt 15 g

Black pepper to taste

Lard 25 g

Extra virgin olive oil 25 g

Neapolitan salami 150 g

Pecorino 150 g

Eggs 4

First, dissolve the yeast in a glass of lukewarm water. Then, make a well with the flour on a work surface and place the dissolved yeast, 25g of lard, a pinch of salt and pepper, and enough lukewarm water in the center to create a smooth and homogeneous dough. Knead the dough for ten minutes in a stand mixer or by hand, beating it vigorously. Let it rise for at least two hours in a slightly oiled and covered bowl. Meanwhile, cut the Pecorino and Neapolitan salami into cubes. Add another pinch of salt and pepper and fill the rolled-out dough with these ingredients. At this point, you can take two paths: either knead the dough again and mix it with the cheeses and salamis or roll the mass around the filling, creating a long roll and placing it inside a bundt pan greased with lard and lightly floured. Then, place washed and dried eggs on top of the dough and cover them with crosses of dough. Let it rise for another hour, and then bake at 180°C for about an hour, until the surface is golden and the casatiello pulls away from the edges of the mold.

Neapolitan Casatiello, the proposal from Spaghetti e Mandolino.

The Neapolitan Casatiello is one of the most traditional baked products of the Neapolitan culinary culture. The Panificio Rosa Maria Vittoria revives an ancient recipe from an important Neapolitan culinary master, Salvatore Esposito, who is famous for preparing one of the wedding cakes of Queen Elizabeth II of England in 1947. The Molisano bakery offers its casatiello all year round!

Culinary art was not shared as it is today, and many recipes were secret. Salvatore Esposito guarded every recipe like a precious jewel, and only a few of them were passed down to his children. His granddaughter, upon entering the family of Rosa Maria Vittoria by marrying his son, thus donated the precious recipe of Casatiello to the Molisano bakery. Salvatore Esposito was against boiled eggs in the casatiello for hygienic reasons and difficulties in transport. The Rosa Maria Vittoria bakery thus decided to faithfully reproduce the original Casatiello of Salvatore Esposito. All you have to do is order it and wait for it to arrive at your home to enjoy it during your Easter holidays!

Francesco Scuderi