If you’re looking for the best Italian Ricotta Pie recipe, look no further. Delicately flavored with a hint of lemon, the creamy ricotta filling between two layers of a buttery, flaky sweet pie dough is a thing of beauty.
Made with just a few simple ingredients, our traditional ricotta pie is guaranteed to become a family favorite.
Although it’s traditionally considered an Easter dessert, this delicious Italian dessert can be served at any time of the year.
This classic dessert, with its creamy ricotta cheese filling and sweet pie dough, is definitely one of my favorite ricotta desserts. After one bite, you’ll understand why.
If you love ricotta desserts, make sure to try our Torta di Ricotta and Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cake recipes.
Ingredients to make an Italian Ricotta Pie
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our Italian ricotta pie recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How to make an Italian Ricotta Pie
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until well combined.
- Add in the very cold butter pieces.
- Pulse 6-8 times or until the dough resembles pebbles.
- With the food processor running, add the eggs to the dough, and continue to mix until the dough forms a ball around the blade, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half.
- Roll out half of the dough into an 11″ circle.
- Place it inside a 9″ deep-dish pie plate, tucking the ends of the pastry underneath themselves to form an edge. Then use a fork all over the bottom of the pan to lightly pierce the dough.
*Place the pie pan in the freezer to chill while the oven preheats (at least 10 minutes). - Remove the bottom crust from the freezer, then line the inside of the pan with parchment. Add pie weights to fill the pan, making sure to push the weights against the edges.
- Place the pan on the lower rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, along with the parchment and pie weights. Then, return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place the pie pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
*Roll out the other half of the dough into a 10-inch circle. Place the pie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it to chill.
- Add the whole milk ricotta cheese to a large bowl. Whisk it for about one minute.
- Add the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the bowl.
- Whisk the ricotta mixture until well combined.
- Whisk an egg with one teaspoon of cold water to make an egg wash.
- Pour the creamy filling into the slightly cooled pie shell.
- Remove the top crust from the refrigerator and use a fork to score it in a lattice pattern by evenly pressing and dragging the fork on the pastry dough.
*Make sure not to press too hard; you don’t want to cut through the dough. - Brush the edges of the pie crust with the eggwash, then place the top crust on top of the ricotta filling. Seal the top crust into the edges, and cut off any excess dough.
- Brush the top of the pie with the eggwash.
- Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, then place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until the dough is golden brown.
*Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or cold.
There are as many ricotta pie recipes as there are Italian grandmothers, and this is the recipe my adopted Nonna taught me.
For a change of pace, add your favorite chocolate chips or dried fruit to this creamy Italian cheesecake. It’s not as sweet as New York style cheesecake made with cream cheese, and chocolate chips will kick up the sweetness,
Wouldn’t you love to sit down to a slice of our Italian Ricotta Pie? It’s not only for dessert; I enjoy a slice at breakfasttime with a hot cup of coffee or espresso.
The ricotta cheese pie should be stored refrigerated, well-covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
To freeze, wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place it in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Recipe FAQ’s
It’s a traditional Italian dessert often served during holidays. It’s a sweet, creamy pie made with a ricotta cheese filling. It’s usually flavored with citrus zest and vanilla but can also include chocolate or dried fruit.
Use fresh, high-quality whole milk ricotta cheese for the best results. If the ricotta is too watery, you can drain it using cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve.
Traditional Italian ricotta is typically made from sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep’s and cow’s milk. This results in a richer, more distinctive flavor profile. American ricotta is usually made from cow’s milk, which gives it a milder taste.
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Italian Ricotta Pie
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter cut into 16 pieces
- 2 large eggs
Ricotta Filling
- 32 ounces whole-milk ricotta
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF
Pie Dough
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until well combined.
- Add in the butter and pulse 6-8 times, or until the dough resembles pebbles.
- With the food processor running, add the eggs to the dough, and continue to mix until the dough forms a ball around the blade, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half.
- Roll out half of the dough to an 11″ circle and place it inside a 9″ deep-dish pie plate, tucking the ends of the pastry underneath themselves to form an edge.
- Use a fork all over the bottom of the pan to lightly pierce the dough.
- Place the pie pan in the freezer to chill while the oven preheats (at least 10 minutes).
- Roll out the other half of the dough to a about 10-inch circle. Place the pie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill.
- Remove the bottom crust from the freezer, then line the inside of the pan with parchment. Add pie weights to fill the pan, making sure to push the weights against the edges.
- Place the pan on the lower rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and remove the parchment and pie weights. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place the pie pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
Filling
- Add the ricotta to a large bowl. Whisk for about one minute.
- Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the ricotta filling into the slightly cooled pie shell.
- Whisk an egg with one teaspoon of cold water to make an egg wash.
- Remove the top crust from the refrigerator, and use a fork to score the top crust in a lattice pattern by evenly pressing and dragging the fork on the pastry. *Make sure not to press too hard, you don't want to cut through the dough.
- Brush the edges of the pie crust with the eggwash.
- Place the top crust on top of the ricotta filling. Seal the top crust into the edges, and cut off any excess dough.
- Brush the top crust with the eggwash.
- Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, then place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until the dough is golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Maureen Norris says
Good morning,
Can this pie crust be use for other things?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Absolutley. Its a simple sweet pastry crust that can be used for just about any type of pie.