Rustic Italian Ricotta Pie
When I was traveling solo through Europe about a year ago, I spent the majority of my time in Italy—go figure. While I was there, I would frequent this panetteria (basically an Italian bakery) right by where I was staying. On one of the first days I was in Florence, I tried this small ricotta-and-rice-filled crostata. It was heavenly. This recipe is my tribute to those beautiful pastries that often started my days during my travels. I learned while I was there that these pastries are not made year-long; they are only made during the Easter/Lenten season in March and April each year. So, though my version omits rice and is a bit bigger than a crostata, I think this pie is synonymous with those exquisite, simple treats that crafted my lovely time in Italy. So, please, you must make this!
Ingredients
CRUST
1 cup flour, all purpose
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Meyer lemon zest
Pinch of sea salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold & cut up in small pieces
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Extra flour for rolling
FILLING
2 cups (about 15 oz) ricotta, whole milk & room temperature
5 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp Meyer lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp white liquor (I used rum, but you could use grappa!)
4 eggs, room temperature
TOPPINGS (all optional)
Meyer lemon slices and zest
Orange slices and zest
Lime zest
Powdered sugar
Instructions
CRUST
Combine dry ingredients in a food processor (or high speed blender), pulse a few times.
Add cold, cubed butter in slowly and pulse/blend until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add in slightly beaten egg and pulse again. Mixture should be coming together at this stage.
Turn out the mixture onto a moderately floured wooden board. Knead slightly and form into a smooth disc.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
FILLING
In a large mixing bowl, beat ricotta on low speed with paddle attachment until smooth (about 30-60 seconds, depending on humidity in the room).
Add in the sugar in batches until the ricotta and sugar are fully combined. Mix in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and liquor.
Add in eggs one at a time until the egg is fully incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl as you go.
Set aside filling while you roll out your dough.
PIE
Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Place oven rack to bottom third.
Roll out the dough to fit your pie plate (9- or 10-inch, either work). The thickness of the dough should be about ⅛ of an inch. Fold over and use your fingers to press the dough to fit into your pie pan.
Pour the filling over the dough and bake for approximately 40 minutes (or until the center filling is set). If needed, place foil on the edge of crust to prevent over-browning if center is still not cooked.
Cool completely and refrigerate until serving. Top with fresh slices of orange and/or Meyer lemon and grated citrus zest. Enjoy!
*Note: I sometimes top mine with powdered sugar for an easy, decorative finish instead of citrus slices and zest.
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