Ricotta Pie Recipe (with Italian pie crust)
The best Italian ricotta pie, with an easy-to-make sweet pastry dough and a filling full of flavor. A great recipe for Easter and a brunch table.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
Italian pie dough:
Ricotta pie filling:
- 1 pound whole-milk ricotta drained if it’s too watery, see Notes below
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose or cake flour
- 4 egg yolks at room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream at room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 2 if not using marsala
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons Marsala wine optional but highly recommended
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For the dough:
- Have ready a 9-inch pie pan with a removable bottom or a ceramic deep dish pie plate. In case you don't have a pie dish, you can use a springform pan for cakes. You'll come halfway up the sides with the crust, so it's roughly the same height as a pie.
- Have ready 1 recipe for Italian Pie Crust, cold from the refrigerator. When ready to bake, roll the dough on a lightly floured counter until it's a few inches bigger than the pie plate. Carefully line the pan without stretching the dough and pinch the edges. You might need to cut a few overhanging pieces. If it tears, pat it together with your fingers or use extra dough for gaps.
- Prick the bottom and refrigerate it for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or freeze it (even better) for about 20 minutes before continuing.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- I recommend pre-baking the crust (blind baking) as it prevents sogginess. But I used to pour the filling directly, and it worked well when the dough was very cold, straight from the freezer. So do what makes you feel most comfortable.
- Blind bake the crust: Cut a piece of aluminum or parchment paper larger than the tart pan. Cover the cold dough with it, adjusting it so that it takes the shape of the dough. Add weight. I use round ceramic pie weights, but raw beans, lentils, rice, or even flour can be used. Bake for about 15 minutes. The foil and weights should lift easily, and the dough below should be half-baked and slightly wet. Bake it for 5 more minutes, just until it loses its shine and is dry. Don't let it bake fully, as it will continue to bake with the filling. For more detailed steps and images, check out this blind-baking pie dough link.
For the cheese filling:
- Mix 1 pound whole-milk ricotta and gradually add ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon all-purpose or cake flour until creamy. You can do this by hand, it just needs to be well integrated.
- Add 4 egg yolks, ¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons Marsala wine if using. Mix well.
- Beat 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt until medium-firm peaks form, and add them in 2 parts to the ricotta mixture with a spatula. Integrate them until there are barely remains of beaten whites, but don’t mix too much and don't beat.
- Pour into the cold pie shell and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is almost firm and golden. It should barely jiggle in the middle.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours. I like to bake it the day before, so it has at least double that time in the fridge. I find it's creamier and tastier.
- Store leftovers refrigerated, well covered, for up to 4-5 days.
Video
Notes
Ricotta: it might be watery, as natural yogurt sometimes is. So you might need to drain it if that is the case. Simply put a colander with a cheesecloth over a bowl, add the ricotta and wait until the liquid has collected. Use it directly, leaving the liquid behind. If draining it overnight or for several hours, cover the bowl and refrigerate it.
Creamy ricotta: This is a grainy cheese, not completely smooth like cream cheese. But you can blend it or process it first to achieve a smoother consistency.
The baked pie can have different tones of golden brown. Sometimes it turns out more orange and others more yellow. It happens to me depending on which oven I bake it in. As long as it's almost firm in the center, it's fine.
Flavorings: Use almond extract in addition to the vanilla, and substitute the Marsala for hazelnut or orange liqueurs (like Frangelico, Cointreau or Grand Marnier).
Add-ins: you can stir ½ cup of chocolate chips (you can omit the Marsala and use more vanilla if making it for kids), chopped walnuts or pistachios (lightly toasted is better in my opinion) into the ricotta batter.
