Best Italian Ricotta Pie Recipes

RICOTTA PIE (OLD ITALIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• Beat the 12 eggs, 2 cups sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Stir in the ricotta cheese and the chocolate chips, if using (see Cook's Note). Set aside.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and 1 cup sugar together. Cut in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in 4 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Divide dough into 4 balls, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two deep-dish pie plates.
• Roll out 2 of the balls to fit into the pie pans. Do not make the crust too thick, as it will expand during cooking. Do not flute the edges of the dough. Roll out the other 2 balls of dough and cut each into 8 narrow strips for the top of the crust. (Alternately, you can use cookie cutters and place the cutouts on the top of the pies.)
• Pour the ricotta filling evenly into the pie crusts. Top each pie with 8 narrow strips of dough or cookie cut-outs. Brush top of pie with milk for shine, if desired. Place foil on the edge of crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes; remove foil. Rotate pies on the rack so they will bake evenly. Continue to bake until a knife inserted in the center of each pie comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool completely on wire racks. Refrigerate until serving.

ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• To make crust, mix flour and salt in medium bowl.
• Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
• Stir in egg yolk and water.
• Roll out, place crust in 10" glass pie plate and flute the edges.
• For filling, combine ricotta cheese, flour, salt, lemon and orange rinds and vanilla.
• Beat in eggs and add sugar gradually.
• Pour filling into crust and bake at 350° until firm and light brown (approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes).

CHEESY ITALIAN RICOTTA & BEEF PIE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375.
• 2. In a large skillet, add ground beef, chopped onion and 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped. Brown ground beef on medium heat. Drain grease. Return browned ground beef to large skillet.
• 3. Add jar of spaghetti sauce, stir well.
• 4. Simmer on low for 2-3 minutes.
• 5. Grease a 13x9 pan, add ground beef and spaghetti sauce mixture to bottom of pan. Spread evenly.
• 6. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmesan. Mix well.
• 7. Spread evenly on top of ground beef mixture.
• 8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
• 9. Align evenly 1.5 - 2 cans of crescent rolls (depending on your preference) on top of cheese mixture. Crescent triangles will rise evenly to create a crust on top while baking.
• 10. In a small saucepan, melt butter and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
• 11. Brush butter and garlic mixture on top of crescent rolls.
• 12. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
• 13. Bake uncovered in oven for 35 minutes at 375 degrees, until crust is golden brown.
• 14. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool. Serve and enjoy!

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and honey and mix well. Place in a 9 inch springform pan and spread evenly across the bottom. Refrigerate 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a large electric mixer bowl, combine ricotta and eggs (beat in one at a time until incorporated). Add tablespoon of honey, vanilla and flour. Beat until smooth. Fold in lemon peel and almonds. Pour mixture into chilled crust and scatter pumpkin seeds on top.
• Bake for 1 hour or until just firm and lightly colored on top. Turn oven off, open door and leave pie inside to cool for 30 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven, refrigerate and chill for 2 hours to overnight before serving.

ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add rice, ricotta, sugar, orange rind, lemon rind, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Roll out half of pastry to fit 10 inch deep-dish pie pan. Place pastry in pan, and fill with ricotta mixture. Roll out remaining pastry and cut 12 1-inch wide strips. Lay strips in a lattice pattern on top of filling. Brush pastry with milk.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until toothpick inserted in filling comes out clean.

PINEAPPLE RICOTTA PIE- ITALIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• In saucepan combine pineapple, cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix and bring to low boil. Continue to cook until slightly thickened. Remove and set aside.
• In mixing bowl combine Ricotta, cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg and rum if you want. mix until smooth.
• Pour into pie shell.
• Spread pineapple mixture evenly on top. Slowly add over the Ricotta mixture and try to cover evenly.
• Cut 2nd pie crust into 1" strips and arrange over the top in a lattice fashion.
• Mix remaining egg and milk in small bowl.
• Brush egg/milk mixture over top of pie.
• Bake in 425°F oven for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, turn heat down to 375°F and cook for 20-25 minutes more. You want the top to be a nice golden brown and the mixture will be slightly "jiggly".
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 hour before putting in fridge. It's best to let it sit in fridge for at least another hour before serving.
• Enjoy!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE RICOTTA PESTO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove pie crust from the freezer.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage. Cook, breaking up the sausage, until juices are released, about 3 minutes. Add red onion, red bell pepper, and garlic; cook and stir until sausage is browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes more. Drain and discard grease.
• Combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, pesto, Romano cheese, lime juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and lemon pepper in a small bowl. Spread over the pie crust. Sprinkle the sausage mixture over the cheese mixture. Arrange zucchini and walnuts on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is browned, about 30 minutes.

ITALIAN RICOTTA TOMATO PIE

Steps:

• For crust, stir together baking mix, garlic powder, pepper and hot water until it becomes a dough then knead it with your hands for a few minutes on a floured board.
• Press, pat and coax dough out on regular size greased baking sheet (I cover my baking sheet with foil and then spray the foil with Pam).
• Set aside.
• Slice tomatoes then take the ends and the parts you couldn't get a good slice of and dice them.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix ricotta with garlic and parmesan.
• Carefully spread dough with ricotta mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch edge.
• Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Place tomato slices and then diced tomatoes.
• Sprinkle with basil and oregano and then drizzle with oil.
• Moisten the edges of the dough with water and fold up to form a small crust.
• Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Enjoy!

ITALIAN SPINACH AND RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Place spinach in a skillet over medium heat and cook until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry, and chop finely.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and add onion. Cook until onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Stir ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 2 whole eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper into the cooled spinach mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish.
• Unwrap the phyllo dough. Keep covered with a damp cloth to prevent phyllo sheets from drying out.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo over the buttered dish flush with the edge so that excess phyllo hangs over on only one side of the dish. Brush lightly with melted butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo at a slight angle to the first one. Continue in this manner, with up to 12 sheets, brushing each sheet with butter and working clockwise to lay each at a slight angle to the previous sheet.
• Spoon cheese and spinach mixture evenly into the phyllo-lined dish. Using the back of a spoon, make six indentations in the filling, then carefully place 1 egg yolk in each. Season each yolk with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of melted butter.
• Take the extra phyllo dough hanging over the edges of the dish and fold it over to the centre to cover the filling, 1 sheet of phyllo at a time, brushing each one with butter. Brush the top of the whole pie with butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the phyllo pastry is a dark golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm.

ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Crush 1/3 of strawberries into coarse pulp in medium bowl. Add remaining quartered berries and sugar; stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Line 12 by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels (or double layer of kitchen towels). Spread ricotta on towels in rough even layer about 1-inch thick. Cover ricotta with 2nd triple layer of paper towels (or dbl layer of kitchen towels); place second rimmed baking sheet on top and weight down. Allow ricotta to dry at least 30 min and up to 2 hrs. Once dry, peel back top layer of towels. Grasp bottom towels and fold ricotta in half; peel back towels. Repeat and flip ricotta onto baking sheet; discard towel. Process bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10 sec. Coat bottom and sides of 9 to 9 1/2-inch springform pan evenly with butter; evenly coat bottom and sides with bread crumbs, shaking out excess. Set springform pan on 18-inch-square dbl layer heavy-duty foil and wrap bottom and sides with foil; set in roasting pan. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 500 degrees. Place ricotta, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, flour, eggs, and yolks in bowl of mixer and mix on medium speed until combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Increase to high and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape into prepared pan. Place 1 quart of ice in roasting pan. Pour cold water to come 1-inch from top of springform pan. Bake until top of pie is pale golden brown with a few darker spots, 25 to 35). Lower heat to 325 degrees, rotate roasting pan and bake until center of pie is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken, and center of pie registers 170 degrees on thermometer, 30 to 45 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes; run paring knife around side of springform pan. Cool to room temp, 2 1/2 to 3 hours; remove ring. Cut into wedges and serve with strawberry topping.