This pie is unique, with cooked rice and ricotta in the filling and a classic Italian pie crust. It's citrusy with texture from the rice and smoothness from the cheese. It's a traditional dessert for Easter. Some components can be made ahead, so assembly is not complicated.
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Unique Italian pie
I've had this Italian Easter rice pie on my bucket list for decades, so it was about time I shared it.
For those of us who like Italian desserts (I grew up with them), baking with ricotta is common, both sweet, like this pie or the popular ricotta cheesecake and savory, where we whip ricotta toast in a matter of minutes.
Although we eat it year-round, it tends to be a special part of our Easter table. It's the torta di riso (the Italian name) or pastiera di riso, which also uses wheat berries that I substitute for rice.
This pie has an interesting filling of rice pudding and ricotta cheese. It has texture and character while maintaining the rusticity common with Italian desserts. And you can make the pie dough and the rice pudding beforehand and keep them refrigerated for a few days. So it's less overwhelming.
For serving, I use a sprinkling of citrus zest and maybe a pinch of cinnamon, and that's it. This pie is about the texture of the filling and doesn't really need toppings. Maybe fresh fruit on the side if you want more of a dessert.
Testing Notes
Organization: Read the recipe first and ensure you have the ingredients at the correct temperature, the utensils and equipment needed, and enough time and workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
The type of ricotta cheese I use for all of my recipes is the regular type sold in supermarkets or specialty stores. It's creamy, moist, and has an almost sweet taste. Quality varies according to brands. I try to buy whole milk ricotta sourced from good small producers. It tastes much better, and I like the consistency more. But a store-bought one works just fine! You can also make your own homemade ricotta.
This recipe uses double the amount of ricotta than rice. I tried it with less, but it was like eating only rice pudding with a crust and very one-dimensional. I also tried a crustless version and one with crust but just rice; again, they fell pretty flat.
To flavor it, I use orange, lemon, vanilla and cinnamon. I think the mix is excellent with the plain canvas of rice and soft cheese, but you can change the combination, except for the lemon zest and vanilla, which are must-add-ins in my opinion.
Storage: Keep it refrigerated for up to 4 days, always covered to prevent dryness. I don't recommend freezing this pie, as the texture is not the same after thawing. The rice pudding and sweet dough can be made ahead and kept chilled until ready to put together the pie.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed in the recipe card toward the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands I use.
- Sweet pie crust. The Italian pasta frolla is the traditional dough for this pie.
- Ricotta. Use full-fat ricotta cheese for a richer and tastier pie. But you can use low-fat fat, and the pie will still be good.
- Rice: You need a starchy rice to make a creamy filling. I like risotto rice and use either Arborio or Carnaroli. Another type of rice you regularly use to make creamy rice pudding is good for this pie.
Italian pie crust
It's called pasta frolla and is a wonderful sweet pie dough to work with.
As with any sweet crust, you can make it by hand or in the food processor; both techniques are explained in the post. It can be kept in the fridge, well wrapped, for a few days or frozen for up to a month.
It's very friendly when rolling it and doesn't need to be very thin.
Organize your space. Make sure you have ample space in your counter, some flour ready to lightly dust the surface, the rolling pin, the pan, and, ideally, a pastry or dough scraper (or cornet) or cookie spatula to help you lift it up after it's rolled.
By hand or food processor
Both methods are explained in the recipe card toward the end of this post. It needs to rest for 1 hour before rolling, so plan for it.
I like to make it by hand, but a food processor is convenient, especially if doubling the recipe.
Roll the dough
Start with cold dough. Keep it in the fridge until you have everything set up. You want to keep it as cold as possible while rolling it, so that it's easy to manipulate and doesn't break when you line the pie pan.
Line the pan
You can do this ahead of time, prick it and pop it in the freezer. When it's time to make the pie, blind-bake it directly without thawing.
Blind-bake it
It's pre-baking the pie crust.
This step is necessary to avoid the filling from seeping too much into the crust and turning it soggy.
Rice ricotta filling
Rice pudding: it's a two-step recipe that delivers a very creamy mixture. It's pretty hands-off and can be made ahead. But plan for it as it takes about 45 minutes to cook.
Mixing: Just use a whisk, spoon, or spatula to mix the filling. You don't need a mixer as there's no need to beat.
Make the rice pudding
It's simple to make: boil starchy rice in water with butter. It should be creamy and thick. The grains should plump up more than usual, so they're soft to bite into.
First mixture
You can stir to mix, and that's it. Or you can beat or mash the rice pudding first to create a smoother consistency. I don't do any of those things as I think the texture is part of this pie's personality and what makes it interesting.
Paula's Tip
Ricotta can be watery; if it is, drain it. Put a strainer with a cloth over a bowl, add the cheese, and let the water drip out. Use it right away. If you drain it overnight or for several hours, cover the bowl and put it in the fridge. It will become firmer and less moist the longer you drain it.
Second mixture
The filling ingredients are mixed together. The key is to stir or mix gently. Don't beat or whisk energetically. We want to fully incorporate the ingredients, but not add air, so it bakes without puffing.
Fill to the rim
The filling will not puff much, if at all. That's why we don't beat it but simply stir the ingredients together, so there's hardly any chance of overflow during baking.
Firm but creamy
The pie is done when the center is almost firm. It should still be very slightly jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools down. The crust will be golden brown.
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Sweet Italian Rice Pie (with ricotta)
Ingredients
Pie crust:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
Rice ricotta filling:
- ½ cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 4 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- ½ pound whole-milk ricotta, commercial or homemade
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Don't be intimidated by the double step to make the rice pudding. It's pretty hands-off, but do plan for the amount of time you'll need. You can use store-bought all-butter pie crust instead of making it yourself if short on time.
For the pie crust:
- Combine 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup sugar and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a large bowl and stir to mix well.
- Scatter 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and in small pieces and cut them in with a pastry cutter or your hands until it's the size of peas and beans, ensuring the mixture remains cool and powdery without becoming pasty.
- Lightly beat 1 large egg and stir it in with a fork. Continue stirring until the dough holds together, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface and gather it several times until it comes together. Knead it briefly until smooth, but don't overdo it, as the more you touch it, the higher the chances the butter will start to melt and the crust will be tough when you bake it. So handle only as needed.
- Shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or unitl firm. At this point, you can keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large circle about 13 inches in diameter. Fit it into a 9-inch pie pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan (this is a deep pie). If you don't have one, you can use a springform cake pan the same size and have the dough reach halfway or ⅔ up the sides.
- Press the dough well against the bottom and sides of the pan and trim the edges so they are even with the top of the pan. Chill the pan while preparing the filling.
Blind bake the crust: I do it while the rice is cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the crust is lightly set and just beginning to color. Set aside.
For the ricotta rice filling:
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil and add ½ cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
- Stir to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan until it boils again. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice grains are very soft and slightly overcooked, with some grains splitting open. Drain it.
- Combine the cooked rice, ½ cup sugar and 2 cups milk in a heavy nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until just warm (not hot). Stir it often and chill it if needed to speed up the process. While the rice is cooling, you can blind bake the crust; see Notes below.
- Place ½ pound whole-milk ricotta in a large bowl. You can pass it through a sieve or strainer or puree it in a food processor if you want it smooth. I normally don't, but I especially like the rustic texture. You can also mash the rice before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix the ricotta into the rice mixture, followed by 4 large eggs, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Set aside while preparing the crust. Cover it to prevent dryness.
To assemble the pie:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pour in the filling on the pre-baked crust and spread it evenly.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until the filling is set but still jiggles in the center, and the dough is a light golden color.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours before serving for the best texture. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.
- Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Mike says
Hi, I had a dessert similar to this that I ordered numerous times when I was in San Miguel de Allende.
I do plan to make this recipe to see if it comes out anything like the dessert from Mexico.
In your top notes, you blind bake the pie crust. It doesn’t mention if you are to use parchment and pie weights.
In the lower recipe, it doesn’t mention blind baking at all.
Thanks
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Mike! Thanks for bringing that up. I updated the recipe card to include the blind-baking process. Let me know if you have any other questions please. And, though I don't know what the Mexican version of this pie tastes like, I hope you like it! Happy baking.