Authentic Italian Ricotta Pie

March 23, 2016 by Allie 45 Comments

This authentic Italian Ricotta Pie recipe yields a light (but rich), sweet, and velvety smooth pie filling inside a crispy homemade pie crust. Ricotta Pie is traditionally savored in Italy and around the world on Easter and other special holidays. I highly recommend making it for your holiday table!

A Beloved Family Tradition in the Form of a Pie

I love recipes that are handed down from generation to generation. This authentic Italian Ricotta Pie is one such recipe. While I don’t have a drop of Italian blood running through my veins (that I know of anyway!) my sister married into an Italian family chock full of excellent cooks and bakers. That has come to mean wonderful things in the kitchen for all of us through the years. One Italian dessert we’ve all come to love is this Italian Ricotta Pie.

Even if you didn’t grow up with ricotta pie, you’ll adore this easy recipe. Traditional ricotta pie often includes chocolate chips or lemon zest, but this old family recipe uses neither. Instead, I garnished it with fresh lemon slices, whipped cream and lemon zest.

Make this authentic Italian Ricotta Pie for an easy and delicious traditional Italian dessert on holidays or any day of the week. Your friends and family will thank you!

Key Ingredients

Ricotta pie is not to be confused with traditional cheesecake. The texture of ricotta pie is lighter and more “eggy” than cheesecake, similar to a thick custard. The delicate flavor of ricotta pie with a hint of cinnamon reminds me of rice pudding, though rice is not an ingredient in this Italian Ricotta Pie recipe.

This authentic Italian ricotta pie recipe is twofold — the ricotta filling and the crispy, sweet pie crust. Let’s start with arguably the best part … the filling!

2 pounds Italian ricotta cheese (Please use high-quality ricotta! It’s the star ingredient for this dish.)
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulate sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk (I recommend whole milk, but you can use whatever you have on-hand; dairy-based or plant-based will work.)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Now, full disclosure: you can buy a store-bought pie crust. *Gasp!* I know, but you really can. I get that it’s often easier, especially if you’re making this as a component to a big (and stressful) holiday meal. But if you would like to make the pie crust from scratch, here’s what you’ll need:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter (chilled)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream and lemon zest (for an optional garnish)

How To Make This Italian Pie

First, prepare the ricotta filling by whisking together the ricotta and eggs until smooth and virtually lump free. Next, add the vanilla extract, heavy cream, milk, and cinnamon. Stir to incorporate, and then set aside to allow the flavors to marinate.
After you have prepared the ricotta pie filling, it’s time to make the homemade pie crust. To make your own easy sweet, flakey pastry, start by cutting the cold butter into dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then, stir in the lightly beaten eggs and vanilla. Separate dough in half and form into two balls. Wrap in plastic and chill. Refrigerate for a minimum of thirty minutes to overnight before rolling out.
Roll on the thinner side, and fit into two prepared 9″ pie pans. The pie dough tends to be crumbly, so leave it rustic ,and don’t flute the edges.
Then, fill the unbaked pie shells with the simple ricotta pie filling, and bake for 30 minutes with foil. Then, bake for an additional 30-45 minutes without foil, until the crust is golden and a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack, and then refrigerate before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh mint, and lemon zest, if desired, for serving. And, most of all, enjoy!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

Store this homemade Italian ricotta cheesecake covered in your fridge for up to 4 days. Press plastic wrap onto the exposed parts of the pie that have been sliced to prevent a skin or rind from forming from being in contact with the air.
Freeze this ricotta pie whole or by the slice for up to 3 months wrapped securely in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Reheat this pie simply by letting it thaw in the fridge and serve chilled.

Serving Tips

If you want a more pronounced lemon flavor, you could add lemon zest to the ricotta filling and/or the pie crust. You could also add lemon extract to the homemade whipped cream for serving, along with a lemon slice or wedge.
You could also serve this Italian ricotta cheesecake with a chocolate ganache instead of the lemon zest. Dark chocolate works especially well with the super sweet filling and pie crust.
Instead of whipped cream, serve this Italian ricotta pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet.
Or, keep things simple by preparing an easy lemon glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice to drizzle atop each slice before serving.
Garnish with my favorite coffee whipped cream and omit the lemon zest and mint.
Serve with beverages like my Godiva chocolate martini, maple pumpkin spice tea latte, or honey chai cardamom latte.

More Dessert Recipes To Try

Print Recipe

4.75 from 8 votes