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    Ask Chef Dennis » Recipes » Torta di Ricotta Recipe – Holiday Italian Cheesecake

    Torta di Ricotta Recipe – Holiday Italian Cheesecake

    Published: Oct 20, 2021 · Modified: Nov 15, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley · 61 Comments·This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    4.77 from 38 votes
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    pinterest image for torta di ricotta

    My Torta di Ricotta is perfect for the holiday season!

    I love a simple ricotta cheesecake, and my version takes this Italian classic to a whole new level. Double crusted and filled with chocolate chips, rum-soaked raisins and pine nut brittle this cheesecake will be a highlight of the holiday festivities.

    slice on a pie spatula being taking out of whole cake

    My first experience with a ricotta cheesecake was a bit of a disappointment for me, it wasn’t what I used to. The flavors and textures were completely different, and on top of that, it wasn’t very sweet.

    slice of torta di ricotta on a white plate with a fork next to it

    What I would come to realize later, was the complexity of this simple dessert and the fact that sugar didn’t mask the real flavors of this glorious cake, which is what made ricotta cheesecake a staple of Italian households.

    And thanks to Mama Jeanette I have this extra-special version of that Italian classic, Torta di Ricotta.

    What Ingredients do I need to make Torta di Ricotta?

    ingredients to make torte di ricotta

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Tort di Ricotta. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    How do I make a Torta di Ricotta?

    raisins soaking in rum

    Mix the raisins and rum together and allow them to sit until most of the rum has been absorbed.

    four images showing how to make pine nut brittle
    • Toast 5 tablespoons of pine nuts in a saute pan just until they start to get color, moving them around constantly so they do not burn. Once they are toasted remove from the pan to cool
    • In a small pan add sugar and water, heat over high neat until mixture begins to boil and all the sugar is dissolved
    • Add the pine nuts to the sugar syrup and continue to swirl the pan until the mixture turns amber.
    • Place the finished mixture onto an oiled cookie sheet to cool and harden
    four images showing how to make the dough for the pie crust
    • In the bowl of a food processor- add the flour, brown sugar, gound almonds, and baking powder, pulse 2 or 3 times
    • Add the butter pieces and pulse 4 or 5 times until mixture looks like coarse meal
    • Mix the egg and vanilla together and pour the mixture into the food processor while it is running (mix just enough to blend)
    • If mixture looks too dry add a little ice water
    • The dough will look a little loose, that’s ok

    Place the dough onto a work table and form it into 2 balls. Use one-third of the dough to make one dough ball and the remainder of the dough for the second. Do not work the dough, even if it does not come completely together, just do your best to form the balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

    four images showing how to make crust for springform pan
    • Using a 10-inch springform pan, line the inside with aluminum foil, overlapping slightly on the outside. Use two criss crossing pieces, and make sure foil is tight to the sides of the pan.
    • Roll the larger of the two dough balls out between two sheets of parchment paper. Making a large circle.
    • Carefully place the rolled out dough into the springform pan. The dough should go half way up the inside of the pan.
    four images showing how to make the filling for the cheesecake
    • Mix the ricotta, orange rind, vanilla, sea salt, sugar, raisins and pine nut brittle together in a mixing bowl until well blended.
    • Add the chocolate chips and mix together.
    • Add the pine nut brittle and mix into the ricotta mixture.
    four images showing how to finish making the torta
    • Spoon the ricotta mixture into the prepared pan
    • In between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the smaller dough ball, just a little bit larger than your springform pan.
    • Place this dough on top of the ricotta mixture, and carefully pinch the dough into dough on the sides of the pan.
    • Don’t worry if it cracks slightly, just try not to leave any holes in the dough.
    • Place on the center rack of a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown.
    2 images of baked torta
    • Allow cheesecake to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then remove the outer pan and very gently peel back the foil and allow it to continue to cool for an additional 30 minutes.
    • Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving to allow it to set up. *There are no eggs in this cake to help bind it, and if you cut it too soon it will run.
    torta di ricotta on pedestal

    After the Torta di Ricotta has set, remove the bottom of the springform pan and place the cheesecake on a serving platter. Allow the cheesecake to come back to room temperature before serving.

    overhead view of torta di ricotta sliced

    Slice the torta into portions and serve up deliciousness!

    slice of torta di ricotta on a white plate with an other slice and the remainder of the cake in the backgroud

    Wouldn’t a slice of this Torta di Ricotta make a delicious dessert or breakfast treat? I know your friends and family will love it!

    More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Amethyst Cheesecake Torte Recipe
    • Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake Recipe for your Holiday Table
    • Mascarpone Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
    • No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    slice of torta di ricotta on a white plate with an other slice and the remainder of the cake in the backgroud
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    4.77 from 38 votes

    Torta di Ricotta

    This crusted ricotta torte aka Torta di Ricotta is super flavorful and would make a great addition to your family’s holiday dessert table.
    Prep Time45 mins
    Cook Time55 mins
    Total Time1 hr 40 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 624kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    Pine Nut Brittle

    • ¼ cup superfine sugar*
    • 3 tbsp water
    • 5 tbsp pine nuts

    Rum Soaked Raisins

    • 4 tbsp golden raisins
    • 2 tbsp rum

    Crust

    • 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 1 ¼ cup ground almonds
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • 8 oz unsalted butter very cold cut into ¼ inch pieces
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tbsp ice water

    Filling

    • 1 ½ lb whole milk ricotta cheese*
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp grated orange rind
    • ½ tsp sea salt
    • ¾ cup superfine sugar
    • 2 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
    • ¼ cup heavy cream if mixture is too dry
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Pine Nut Brittle

    • Toast 5 tablespoons of pine nuts in a saute pan just until they start to get color, moving them around constantly so they do not burn. Once they are toasted remove from the pan to cool
    • In a small pan add the sugar and water, heat over high neat until mixture begins to boil and all the sugar is dissolved
    • Add the pine nuts to the sugar syrup and continue to swirl the pan until the mixture turns amber.
    • Place the finished mixture onto an oiled cookie sheet to cool and harden.

    Rasins

    • Mix the raisins and rum together and allow them to sit until most of the rum has been absorbed

    Crust

    • In the bowl of a food processor- add the flour, brown sugar, gound almonds, and baking powder, pulse 2 or 3 times
    • Add the butter pieces and pulse 4 or 5 times until mixture looks like coarse meal
    • Mix the egg and vanilla together and pour the mixture into the food processor while it is running (mix just enough to blend)
    • If mixture looks too dry add a little ice water
    • The dough will look a little loose, that’s ok
    • Place the dough onto a work table and form it into 2 balls. Use one-third of the dough to make one dough ball and the remainder of the dough for the second. Do not work the dough, even if it does not come completely together, just do your best to form the balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

    Filling

    • Mix the ricotta, orange rind, vanilla, sea salt, sugar, raisins and pine nut brittle together until well blended
    • Add the chocolate chips.
    • Break the pine nut brittle into small pieces and add to the ricotta mixture.

    Assembly

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C)
    • Using a 10 inch springform pan, line the inside with aluminum foil, overlapping slightly on the outside. Use two criss crossing pieces, and make sure foil is tight to the sides of the pan.
    • Roll the larger of the two dough balls out between two sheets of parchment paper. Making a large circle.
    • Carefully place the rolled-out dough into the springform pan. The dough should go half way up the inside of the pan.
    • Spoon the ricotta mixture into the prepared pan
    • In between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the remaining dough ball, just a little bit larger than your springform pan.
    • Place this dough onto of the ricotta mixture, and carefully pinch the dough into dough on the sides of the pan.
      *Don't worry if it cracks slightly, just try not to leave any holes in the dough.
    • Place on the center rack of a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown.
    • Allow cheesecake to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then remove the outer pan and very gently peel back the foil and allow it to continue to cool for an additional 30 minutes.
    • Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving to allow it to set up. 
      *There are no eggs in this cake to help bind it, and if you cut it too soon it will run.
    • After the cheesecake has set up, remove the bottom of the springform pan and place on serving platter, allow cheesecake to come back to room temperature before serving.

    Notes

    *if you do not have superfine sugar, you can pulse granulated sugar 5 or 6 times until it becomes a finer granule.
    * My homemade ricotta was very dry and I needed to add ¼ cup of heavy cream to the mixture

    Nutrition

    Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 3.1mg
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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz

      October 31, 2021 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      I’ve never tried making this before, but excited to give it a try!

      Reply
    2. Chandice Probst

      October 31, 2021 at 10:25 am

      5 stars
      I’ve been dying to learn how to make this recipe and then came across yours… Such a fantastic one with easy to follow instructions. Thank you thank you, it was delicious!

      Reply
      • Shea

        February 12, 2022 at 11:46 pm

        5 stars
        It was my first time making a cheesecake and after looking for million recipes, I settled with this one. The only change I made was orange zest and juice instead of lemon. Amazing results!! I was dubious when it came out jiggly after baking for one hour but the cake set beautifully after cooling down and was a huge success among the guests. Will be adding this to my favorites!

        Reply
    3. Jacqueline Debono

      October 30, 2021 at 10:46 am

      5 stars
      Ricotta is such a divine dairy product. Living in Italy, means I use it a lot in both sweet and savoury dishes although my favourite way to eat it is fresh from the farm with a drizzle of honey for breakfast!! This ricotta pie is richer than others I’ve tried and can confirm it was delicious!

      Reply
    4. Lauren Michael Harris

      October 29, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a unique recipe! I don’t know if I can get my kids on board with raisins (what kid doesn’t like raisins?!?), but I plan to try this torta di ricotta asap!

      Reply
    5. Veronika Sykorova

      October 29, 2021 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve never tried Italian Torta di Ricotta but being from Europe, it reminded me of a dessert my grandma used to make when I was a kid. Delicious!

      Reply
    6. Veronika

      October 29, 2021 at 3:09 pm

      5 stars
      This was my first time trying this recipe and it came out perfect! Thank you for all the tips and tricks that helped me to make the baking process easy!

      Reply
    7. Bernice

      October 25, 2021 at 11:44 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, I’ve never heard of this torta before. Such an interesting combination of ingredients. So glad I had that ricotta just waiting in the fridge. It came out great and I’ll be making it again

      Reply
    8. Gloria

      October 25, 2021 at 11:28 am

      5 stars
      This dessert is calling my name. Ricotta is so delicious and works so well in this torte. I would eat this for breakfast and dessert!!

      Reply
    9. Cathleen

      October 25, 2021 at 10:57 am

      5 stars
      This is totally new to me, so I am glad you included such detailed step by step instructions! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
    10. Debra

      October 24, 2021 at 9:01 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely…light and also rich and decadent, we loved this dessert! Love the history of this for you.

      Reply
    11. Addie

      October 22, 2021 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      This dessert is equally delicious and stunning! Everyone loved this cheesecake!

      Reply
    12. Jean

      October 22, 2021 at 9:13 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for such an easy to follow recipe! The torta was delicious

      Reply
    13. Rob

      October 22, 2021 at 8:32 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Everyone loved the cheesecake

      Reply
    14. Jules

      October 22, 2021 at 8:31 pm

      5 stars
      That pine nut brittle is the coolest recipe I’ve ever seen and I have been looking for a cheesecake to make for my dad since he is a cheesecake lover. Hr gave it 5 stars and said it was the perfect recipe!

      Reply
    15. Lexa

      October 22, 2021 at 5:46 pm

      5 stars
      What an amazing recipe, my family loved your Torta di Ricotta!

      Reply
    16. Amanda Dixon

      October 22, 2021 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      This pie is perfection! The ricotta filling is so decadent, and I loved the rum kick.

      Reply
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