This light, bright pie is packed with creamy, zesty infused ricotta and it's a thing of pure delight. Learn how to make this Italian sweet-treat at home with my recipe.
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy
Add the egg and cream and beat to combine
Gently beat in the flour and baking powder to combine well, then using your hands bring the mixture together to form a ball
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour
To make the filling
If the ricotta is wet and has a lot of liquid around it, drain for 30 minutes in a strainer or sieve with some muslin to dry out a little.
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the marscapone cream and beat again until combined and creamy
Gently beat in the vanilla, ricotta, lemon zest and honey then set aside.
To make the pie
Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF
Butter a 10" baking tin or pie dish and dust with flour.
Take the pastry and cut into ⅔ / ⅓ portions. The ⅔ piece will be for the base and the ⅓ for the top.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface then the ball of dough. Begin to gently press down on the dough with a rolling pin to flatten it out a little then start rolling. If the dough sticks a little, dust the rolling pin with icing sugar (powdered sugar).
Roll the dough until it's large enough to fit the base and sides of the tin/dish (around 13-14")
Lift the dough by the plastic and gently flip it and carefully place into the tin. Peel off the plastic and gently press the pastry into the base and sides. The pastry can be quite fragile, so if it breaks, don't worry too much, just use another piece of pastry to patch the holes. Ensure it's sealed with as many patches as it takes.
Repeat the rolling process on plastic wrap for the lid of the pie. Set to one side.
Pour the ricotta mix into the tin and then carefully place the pie lid. Seal the edges together by pressing firmly then trim any excess pastry.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. You may need to loosely cover the pastry with some foil after 30 minutes to avoid burning.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the tin (if you used a pie dish, you can leave it in the dish if you like).
Dust in an artistic fashion with cinnamon and powdered/icing sugar. I dust generously with cinnamon first and then place over my cooling rack and some chopsticks to create a criss-cross pattern before re-dusting with sugar.
I like to chill my pie for at least an hour to help set it more.
Notes
Tips:
Keep the pastry cold. Refrigerate before rolling for 15-30 minutes. Then, once you have the base in the tin, refrigerate again – this will ensure a nice, crusty but light texture when cooked.
Drain your ricotta – Supermarket ricotta can often bee a little watery. Tip yours into a muslin, covered sieve over a bowl to catch the liquid. Cover and drain for 10-12 hours in the fridge. You’ll notice the difference.
Serving suggestions
Serve as a snack or dessert. No need for any accompaniments, this ricotta pie is all you need.
Storage
Fridge: Keep in the fridge (covered) for up to a week.
Freezer: Not suitable for freezing as a pie, but you can freeze the Frolla pastry element (wrapped in plastic) for up to 3 months. Defrost before rolling out and using.