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Ricotta Pie is the classic Italian Sweet Ricotta Pie recipe that's traditionally served at Easter. This recipe is the perfect treat to have on hand as an Italian Easter dessert but would great year round!
Ricotta Pie is a simple and sweet dessert that has the most amazing texture and flavor. You'll love how subtly sweet and rich tasting this classic Italian dessert is.
For more traditional Italian Easter recipes, don't miss my Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Rustica), Italian Rice Pie, or the classic Pane di Pasqua. If you love ricotta desserts, be sure to try this Almond Ricotta Cake, No-Bake Ricotta Cheesecake, or Limoncello Ricotta Cookies.
You'll Love Ricotta Pie!
Ricotta Pie is a delicious and simple dessert that is like a cross between a cheesecake and pie. The creamy ricotta filling is perfectly flavored with a bit of lemon to make the most amazing traditional Easter dessert.
This recipe is a classic dish that's commonly served for special occasions, most traditionally at Easter time. It's a great dessert to make ahead of time and seems to taste better the longer it sits.
You'll love how easy the ricotta cheese filling comes together. Plus, you can make the entire pie crust, known as "pasta frolla" in the food processor.
I like to top this pie with a simple lattice top using the sweet crust of the dough. You could also just top the pie with a layer of dough for a more traditional finish.
Ricotta Pie comes together fast and you can even make the pie crust days ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. You'll love that there's no need to pre-bake the crust and no pie weights needed.
So, if you are looking for a creamy and delicious treat to serve for Easter Sunday, be sure to give this recipe for Italian Ricotta Pie a try!
Ingredients
Ricotta: you will need a 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese for this recipe. Be sure to drain the ricotta ahead of time over a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth before using.
Eggs: you will need a total of six large eggs (two for the crust and four for the filling) in this recipe.
Sugar: granulated sugar is best for sweetening both the pasta frolla (crust) and the ricotta filling.
Vanilla: a bit of vanilla extract adds great flavor to the ricotta filling. You could also add a bit of almond extract to change up the flavor.
Lemon: it is traditional to add a bit of lemon juice and lemon zest to flavor the ricotta filling. You could use orange zest as well here.
Flour: use regular all purpose flour for the crust of the pie.
Baking powder: make sure you are using baking powder and not baking soda here.
Butter: use cold butter for the pie dough. Cut into cubes before adding to the sweet pie dough.
Salt: I like to use kosher salt for baking.
How to Make Ricotta Pie
Ricotta Pie is the classic Italian Easter Pie and it's great to make ahead of time. This recipe comes together fast and features a simple filling and sweet pie shell.
You can make this either in a 9-inch tart pan, springform pan,or a classic pie dish. The dough will need to chill for an hour before using so be sure to plan accordingly.
Step 1: make the pasta frolla (sweet pie crust)
In a large food processor, combine the dry ingredients for the crust, including the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse to combine.
Then, add in the eggs and cold cubed butter. Continue to process until the dough is well combined. Note that the dough will be slightly crumbly but should hold together if squeezed. Add in a splash of ice water if needed.
Step 2: refrigerate the dough
Pour the pie crust dough on to a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a disk shape and wrap tightly in plastic.
Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour or up to two days.
Step 3: prepare the filling and assemble the ricotta pie
Once the dough has chilled, you can prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Use an electric mixer to mix together the filling until it is smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
Cut off about two-thirds of the pasta frolla dough and place on a lightly floured surface or piece of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll into a 12-inch circular shape. Move the dough to the pie plate and press in using your hands. Use excess dough to fill in any holes in the crust.
Pour the ricotta mixture into the pan and top with a lattice of the remaining dough.
Step 4: bake
Place the ricotta cheese pie on a baking sheet on the center rack in preheated oven. Bake until the filling is set and the lattice is golden brown. The pie should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Use a sharp knife to cut into pieces.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- The sweet dough for this recipe, also known as "pasta frolla," can be made up to two days in advance. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a pinch, you can substitute store-bought pie crust.
- You can top this pie with a large piece of rolled out pie dough or do a more intricate lattice design. Note that the lattice make sink slightly when placed on the filling but tends to puff back up when baked.
- Ricotta Pie tastes best served at room temperature or chilled. You can make this pie up to two days in advance, just cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and some fresh fruit on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pasta Frolla?
Pasta frolla is a sweet Italian dough that is used to make pie crusts for desserts like Ricotta Pie. The dough is made with flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, and butter, and can be prepared and refrigerated up to two days in advance of using.
Is Ricotta Pie Easy to Make?
Ricotta Pie is easy to make and consists of two components: the crust and the filling. You can make this recipe even easier by substituting a good quality store-bought pie crust instead of making homemade.
What is in Ricotta Pie Filling?
Ricotta Pie, which is traditionally served at Easter time, is made with whole milk ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice and zest. You can also add in a bit of mini chocolate chips or orange zest depending on your preferences.
More Italian Easter Recipes
- Italian Easter Cookies (Authentic Buttery Soft Recipe)
- Italian Easter Bread | No Yeast Recipe
- Taralli Dolci
- Italian Easter Recipes | 20 BEST Italian Easter Foods
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5 from 10 votes
Ricotta Pie (Sweet Italian Easter Pie)
Italian Ricotta Pie is a sweet pie that is traditionally served at Easter. This is a great dessert to make in advance and is delicious served cold or at room temperature.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Chill Time1 hour hr
Total Time2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: ricotta pie
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Angela Allison
Equipment
9-inch tart pan or pie pan
food processor with blade attachment
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, chilled (cut into cubes)
Ricotta Filling
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta (drained)
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced (1 tablespoon juice, 1 teaspoon zest)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Pie Crust
To make the crust for the ricotta pie, start by pulsing together in a large food processor fitted with the blade attachment the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then, add in the eggs and cold cubed butter. Pulse just until the mixture is well combined. (If the dough is too crumbly, you can add in a splash of water).
Pour the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Ricotta Filling
To make the filling for the pie, in a large bowl combine the drained ricotta, eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer to beat together the ingredients until they are well combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes; set aside.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack near the center of the oven.
Once the dough has chilled, cut off about two-thirds of the dough. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to make an 12-inch circular shape. Place the dough in a 9-inch tart pan or pie pan. Use excess dough to fill in any holes in the dough.
Pour the ricotta filling into the pie crust.
Roll the remaining piece of dough into a 10-inch circular shape. You can either place the entire piece of dough on top of the pie or cut the dough into strips and make a lattice design on top of the pie.
Place a baking sheet underneath the pie and bake on center rack for about 45 minutes. You'll know the ricotta pie is done with the center of the pie registers 160 degrees on a food thermometer.
Remove the pie from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- The sweet dough for this recipe, also known as "pasta frolla," can be made up to two days in advance. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a pinch, you can substitute store-bought pie crust.
- You can top this pie with a large piece of rolled out pie dough or do a more intricate lattice design. Note that the lattice make sink slightly when placed on the filling but tends to puff back up when baked.
- Ricotta Pie tastes best served at room temperature or chilled. You can make this pie up to two days in advance, just cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and some fresh fruit on the side.
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 413IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg
