Among the traditional Neapolitan dishes towers the Casatiello, prepared on the occasion of the Easter to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and often at Christmas as well. There are as many as two versions, sweet and savory, perfect for all tastes. The savory variant is more typical Neapolitan, while the sweet one is more common in the Caserta area.

The Savory casatiello is not the Tortano! There is often confusion between the two, but it is good to remember that Casatiello is prepared with whole eggs in the upper parts, while in tortano they are used to stuff the inside along with the other meats.

The Savory Casatiello

Casatiello salato probably dates back to Greek Naples. There is literary evidence for the existence of breads topped with various ingredients, including cheese, caseus then transformed into case in Neapolitan and then became casatiello, that is, small cheese bread.

This savory doughnut was served during spring festivals in honor of Demeter, or Ceres for the Romans, later becoming a symbol of Catholic Easter.

In the 1600s, the casatiello, along with the Neapolitan Pastiera, makes an appearance in the fable Cat Cinderella written by Giambattista Basile, officially entering the culinary scene in Campania:

"oh my good: what a mazzecatorio and what a bazzara that se facette! Where did so many pastries and casatielle come from? Where did the hates and porpettes come from? Where the maccarune and graviuole? So much that nce he could magnare n'asserceto formed."

A bread stuffed with cheese and cured meats, the savory casatiello is the King of the table during Easter lunch, unmistakable with its fresh eggs caged in the top of the doughnut-shaped dough.

The recipe

Here are the ingredients:

• 200 g of sourdough
• 250 ml of water
• 250 g of 0 flour
• 250 g of 00 flour
• 125 gr of lard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 120 g of bacon
• 150 g of salami
• 250 g of spicy provolone cheese
• 30 g of pecorino cheese
• 4 eggs

Put the sourdough starter, refreshed 2 times before using it, and room temperature water in a bowl. If you want to use brewer's yeast, dissolve 12 g of brewer's yeast with a little sugar and 30 ml of warm water. Add the flour and start kneading, then the lard, salt, pepper and knead the dough for about 20 minutes. When smooth, form into a ball, cover and let rise for about 12 hours until doubled in volume.

Then roll out the dough to form a rectangle to cover with the cold cuts and cheeses, roll it all up to form a cylinder, sprinkle the mold with lard and place the casatiello inside. Then form four hollows with your hands in which to place the typical fresh caged eggs.

The Sweet Casatiello

Some people think that this delicious dessert comes from Torre del Greco, others from the Amalfi Coast But it is certainly a recipe that has been handed down for generations.

Also called Easter cone, this cake has the characteristic of being prepared with the so-called criscito, that is, a yeast made from a dough that used to be passed from house to house.

The topping is a rainbow of colors because the white frosting is studded with tiny colored sprinkles, called devils. A particular custom, especially in small towns, is to bake casatiello in trusted bakeries rather than in one's own home, so as to facilitate baking time. In Neapolitan homes it is customary to prepare casatielli and pastiere in abundance during the Easter season so that they can be given as gifts to friends and relatives.

Usually this recipe is handed down from one generation to the next and in most cases we learn it thanks to our grandmothers who never give up tradition, waking up even at dawn in order to bake this delicious dessert.

The recipe

Here are the ingriedents:

• 500 g of 00 flour
• 4 eggs
• 220 g sugar
• 50 g butter
• 50 gr of lard
• 150 g of sourdough or biga (65 g of 0 flour + 12 g of brewer's yeast + 30 ml of water + 1 pinch of sugar)
• 30 ml strega liqueur
• 1 lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
• 3 drops of lemon juice
• 1 albumen
• 125 gr powdered sugar
• colored sprinkles to taste

In case you are using chriscite you will need to refresh it 2 times before using it and use it 3/4 hours after the last refresh when it is at its most active. If you want to use brewer's yeast, make a biga by dissolving 12 g of brewer's yeast, a pinch of sugar in a bowl with 30 ml of barely lukewarm water, then add 65 g of flour and knead until it forms a ball, put to rise in an unlit oven for 1 hour or until doubled.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, then add the flour and criscito (or biga) and start kneading.

Add the soft butter, lard, strega liqueur, lemon peel and a tablespoon of vanilla essence and knead everything until smooth.

Then place the resulting mixture in a buttered and floured mold, level the surface well and let it rest in a warm place away from drafts for 12 to 24 hours. The time may vary depending on the strength of the yeast, however it will be ready when it almost reaches the edge of the mold.

Bake the sweet casatiello in a static oven at 170° for about 50 minutes; when it looks cooked, do the toothpick test to be sure.

For the icing, mix egg white with powdered sugar and lemon drops. Spread it on the top of the casatiello and then top it with colored sprinkles. Let cool completely before serving.

What are you waiting for to prepare it too for the day of Easter?