Indulge in the delectable Ricotta Nut Pie, a symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. This delightful pie features a flaky, buttery crust that encases a creamy, velvety ricotta filling, generously studded with a medley of crunchy walnuts, almonds, and pecans. The harmonious blend of ricotta's mild tanginess, the sweetness of nuts, and a hint of cinnamon creates a captivating flavor profile that lingers on the palate. This article presents two irresistible variations of the Ricotta Nut Pie: the classic version and a gluten-free adaptation that caters to various dietary preferences. Both recipes provide step-by-step instructions, ensuring that bakers of all skill levels can recreate this culinary masterpiece in their own kitchens.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
RICOTTA PIE (OLD ITALIAN RECIPE)
This is an old Italian recipe for a pie with a sweet crust--just like from the old country. My in-laws are Italian and they say that this is the best pie. It is always requested for Christmas. Mini chocolate bits and lemon rind can be mixed into the batter.
Provided by Misty
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 3h
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 13
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 352.1 calories, Carbohydrate 45.6 g, Cholesterol 141.6 mg, Fat 13.4 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 12.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.4 g, Sodium 220.1 mg, Sugar 26.5 g
RICOTTA CHEESE PIE I
Steps:
- Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup milk.
- Combine cornstarch and milk with ricotta, remaining 1 cup milk, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Mix until well blended. Pour filling into unbaked pie shell.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Sprinkle top with cinnamon, and cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 212.4 calories, Carbohydrate 27 g, Cholesterol 50.2 mg, Fat 9.6 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, Sodium 153.4 mg, Sugar 14.8 g
RICOTTA PIE
A creamy ricotta filling with a hint of lemon and almond is baked inside of a sweet Italian pie pastry. Typically served on Easter, but not exclusively, this Ricotta Pie is the star of the show at any meal. The ricotta typically needs to be strained, so prepare ahead of time since this process takes at least 8 hours in the refrigerator or overnight. Please also note this pie requires a 9" deep-dish pie pan.
Provided by Kelli Avila
Categories Sweet
Time 1h40m
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until well combined.
- Add in the butter and pulse 5-7 times, or until the butter is broken down into tiny pebbles.
- With the motor running, add in the eggs and let the dough process until it forms together into a cohesive ball around the blade, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface dusted with flour. Divide the dough in half.
- Roll out half of the dough to a rough 11″ circle and place inside of a 9″ deep-dish pie plate, tucking the ends of the pastry underneath themselves to form an edge. Pierce the bottom of the pastry multiple times with a fork to allow the steam to escape when baking. Place the pastry in the freezer to chill while the oven preheats, or at least 10 minutes.
- Roll out the other half of the dough to a rough 10-inch circle. Place the pie dough on a flat surface (such as a sheet pan) that can fit in your refrigerator. Cover, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
- Remove the bottom crust from the freezer and line the pastry with a round piece of parchment paper and then add pie weights to fill (or dry rice or beans or lentils), making sure to push pie weights up against the edges. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack, then remove from the oven and remove the parchment and pie weights. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Add the (strained) ricotta to a large bowl. Whip it with a whisk for 30 seconds until lightened. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and almond extract and whisk together until well combined.
- Transfer the filling to the slightly cooled pie shell.
- Whisk together an egg with a bit of water to make an egg wash.
- Remove the rolled-out top crust from the refrigerator. Score the top crust with the fork in a lattice pattern by evenly pressing and dragging the fork on the pastry. You want to get a good score on it, but make sure not to cut through the pastry.
- Brush the egg wash on the top crust as well as on the edges of the baked bottom pie crust (this will help the top crust seal to the edges). Transfer the top crust pastry on top of the ricotta filling. Seal the top crust into the edges, and cut off any excess dough.
- Bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet in the middle part of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden and shiny and the filling has just nearly puffed up throughout, leaving just a small portion in the middle that has not risen.
- Let cool for at last 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or cold.
CREAMY RICOTTA TART WITH PINE NUTS
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories dessert
Time 2h35m
Yield 1 (11-inch) tart
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 3/4 cup of pine nuts, and salt until finely ground. Add the butter. Pulse dough just until it comes together.
- Place the dough into an 11-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom and press down to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
- Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shell in the lower third of the oven until just set, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Bake until the tart shell is lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
- Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the water in a small saucepan over low heat. You don't want to boil the water, you just want to heat it so that the sugar can dissolve thoroughly. Stir until the sugar dissolves and remove from heat.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the ricotta cheese and cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, and process until smooth. With the machine running, add the sugar syrup in a thin steady stream and process until smooth.
- Pour the custard into the tart shell and bake until the filling is almost set, about 20 to 25 minutes. Scatter the remaining 3/4 cup of toasted pine nuts atop the filling. Bake until the custard is set, about 10 minutes longer. Let the tart cool completely before serving.
- The tart can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Return the tart to room temperature before serving.
ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE RECIPE (EASTER)
Best Italian Ricotta Pie Recipe is a classic, traditional recipe - often served at Easter time. This sweet ricotta pie has a creamy ricotta filling flavored with lemon zest and a hint of almond and vanilla all inside a super easy pie shell.
Provided by Elena
Categories Sweet
Time 1h5m
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Make the pasta frolla dough and set in fridge while preparing the filling.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack to bottom third.
- Make filling: If your ricotta has extra water strain it (see notes)
- Start by whipping the ricotta in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl using a hand held electric mixer. Whip as you would whipped cream- very smooth consistency.
- Then, add the sugar and mix again. Add the eggs one by one to the ricotta mixture- scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed.
- Add the almond and vanilla extract and lemon zest, mix to incorporate.
- Set aside while you roll out your dough.
- Roll out the dough to fit your pie plate (9-inch). The thickness should be about 1/8 of an inch. Carefully fold over and fit into your pie pan.
- Pour in the filling.
- Optional step: Decorate with strips of dough and brush tops of dough strips with egg wash.
- Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the center filling is set. Place foil on the edge of crust to prevent over-browning (if needed).
- Cool completely, about 2 hours, on a wire rack and refrigerate until serving. If desired, top with freshly whipped cream. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE RICOTTA PIE
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories dessert
Time 1h55m
Yield 10 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- For the crust: In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, cornmeal, salt, and 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, and pulse to grind. Add the butter and pulse, just until the mixture forms a dough. Press the dough over the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of an 11-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line the tart dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shell in the lower third of the oven until just set, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Bake the shell again until golden, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- For the filling: Add the chocolate to a double boiler, over very softly simmering water and heat until melted.
- Combine the water with the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool.
- Add the ricotta cheese and cream cheese in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolks, 1 at a time, and process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and the sugar syrup and pulse until combined. Pour the custard into the tart shell and bake until the custard is just set, about 30 minutes. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped hazelnuts on top of the filling. Let the tart cool completely before serving.
- The tart can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Return the tart to room temperature before serving.
RICOTTA PIE
Steps:
- To make the pie crust:
- Into a bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the shortening and blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk together the egg and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and toss to combine, adding more water, if necessary, to form a dough. Chill the dough, wrapped in plastic, until firm.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle 1/8-inch thick and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the edge, prick the bottom, and chill while making the filling.
- Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta with the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon. Stir in the candied fruit and chocolate chips. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
- Bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until just set. Let cool and chill.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ricotta cheese. This will ensure that your pie has a rich, creamy flavor.
- Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing will make the dough tough.
- Chill the dough before rolling it out. This will make it easier to work with and will prevent it from shrinking in the oven.
- Blind-bake the pie crust before filling it. This will help to prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
- Use a variety of nuts in your pie. This will add flavor and texture.
- Garnish the pie with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or chopped nuts before serving. This will add a touch of elegance.
Conclusion:
Ricotta nut pie is a delicious and versatile dessert that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is perfect for any occasion, from a casual get-together to a formal dinner party. With its creamy filling, nutty flavor, and flaky crust, ricotta nut pie is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it.
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