How To Make Grano Cotto – So Much Cheaper Than Store Bought!

It’s pastier season which means you need to get your hands on some grand lotto which admittedly, unless you live close to an Italian specialty store (or you live in Italy) its a bit difficult to find and it costs a small fortune the you do find it. So, I’ve been making it myself for a few years and I’m just never going back to buying it because it’s perfect. All you need is some soft white wheat berries and some patience. I take 1 cup of the berries (I find one cup to be the perfect amount, it makes just the right amount of cooked granola for my pastiera recipe which you need 580 grams of cooked grano for) soak them overnight in some cold water, then drain, rinse and simmer in a big pot of water for 4 hours, making sure to keep topping off the water with some boiling water as needed. I keep a small saucepan with water nearby and every time it looks like the water is evaporating too much, I boil that water and too it. Once the 4 hours of cooking time is up, you will leave them to cool a bit in the pot, then drain and place them in a food processor. This part is crucial, you need to break them down. Pulse and process until they break down into almost a thick chunky paste but don’t take them all the way to puree. Then store in a jar up to a coupe days and you’re ready to proceed with your pastiera recipe.

Berries I used: https://rstyle.me/+fxf4uJqGS_6jMJcinMfIQA
Pastiera Recipe: https://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/pastiera-napoletana-/