Ricotta Pie
A sweet Italian tart with a crumbly pastry shell and a creamy lemon-scented ricotta filling, baked for 55 minutes and chilled before slicing.
Cool it overnight, or at least until the filling has fully set. Ricotta pie that is cut warm collapses into a custard, while the same pie, chilled, slices cleanly and tastes better, with the lemon and vanilla settled into the cheese. Patience is the method.
The crust is a sweet, short pastry that is pressed into the tin rather than rolled, which makes it a forgiving beginner's dough. Chill it for thirty minutes first. Drain the ricotta for at least thirty minutes in a sieve. Wet cheese gives a watery filling and a soggy base, and the pie will weep when sliced.
Beat the drained ricotta with eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and a pinch of cinnamon until smooth, then pour it into the shell. Bake until the centre is just set, with a very slight wobble, and the edges are lightly golden. It carries on setting as it cools. Cool for no more than two hours at room temperature, then chill before serving.
What People Ask
How long does Ricotta Pie take to make?
20 minutes of preparation and 55 minutes of cooking, plus 3 hours 30 minutes of Chilling and cooling, so allow 4 hours 45 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 10.
Ricotta Pie: Step by Step
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Rub the butter into the flour and 80 g sugar until crumbly. Mix in the yolks and water to a dough. Press into a 23 cm tin, prick the base and chill for 30 minutes.
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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F. Beat the ricotta, eggs, 100 g sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and cinnamon until smooth.
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Pour into the pastry shell and bake for 55 minutes until just set and lightly golden.
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Cool in the tin for 1 hour, then chill for at least 2 hours.
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Dust with icing sugar and slice.
Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.
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Worth Getting Right
- Drain the ricotta well so the filling stays firm.
- Take the pie out when the centre has a slight wobble.
- Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking.
What to Serve With It
Espresso · Fresh berries · Sweet wine · Whipped cream
Storage
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge, covered. Do not freeze.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published .
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