Italian ricotta pie

Italian ricotta pie (crostata) is a classic dessert that everyone loves. This pie is filled with creamy ricotta cheese and chocolate chips. The pie crust is made with pasta frolla, the classic italian dough for crostata.

As I might mentioned before, I love the simplicity in italian desserts. How basic ingredients like flour, butter and eggs transforms into a wonderful crostata with the perfect texture or a moist and super soft ricotta cake that everyone loves.

What is pasta frolla?

Pasta frolla is an italian sweet pie dough made with flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Depending on the recipe, sometimes baking powder is added to get a lightly fluffy texture.

Pasta frolla can have some aromas and flavours like lemon, vanilla, almonds, orange, rum, etc.

Is a very easy dough to make and used in many italian treats, not only pies but also cookies and cakes. Check out our guide clicking on the image below!

Italian ricotta pie recipe

Make the dough

In a food processor add flour, butter, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Process until you’ll have a sandy mixture. Add a whole egg, an egg yolk and vanilla extract. Pulse a couple of times until you’ll have all ingredients combined.

Dust with flour a working surface, place the dough and very gently form a ball. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for one hour. 

Make the filling

In a medium bowl place ricotta with sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is combined and there are no lumps. Add chocolate chips and gently fold in.

Make the pie

Take out the dough from the fridge and divide it in two portions. Leave one of the portions in fridge until needed. Place dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll the dough with until is about 11 inches (28-30 cm) wide.

Grease and flour a 10″ /24cm pie dish. Transfer the dough to the pie dish taking care that it fits nicely into the bottom and sides.

Cut off the excess of dough with a knife and then add inside the ricotta mixture. Use a spatula to spread evenly. Place the pie in the fridge while continuing with the recipe.

Roll the other portion of dough and, using a flower shaped cooking cutter, cut some flowers in the dough. You can also use any other shape you’d prefer.

Remove the pie from the fridge and place over the dough with flowers to cover it. Cut the excess of dough from the borders and use it to make more flowers.

Whisk egg with milk to make the eggwash. Carefully, brush the pie. Decor with the remaining dough flowers and brush them too. Place the pie in the fridge while oven heats up.

Bake

Heat the oven to 340°F/175°C. Bake for about 50 min to 1 hour in the middle rack. Remove the pie from oven and allow to cool down on a cooling rack for 30 minutes before slicing.

Tips and tricks

• Butter need to be cold. Straight from the fridge. After you cut it into small cubes, place it again in the fridge for about 15 minutes (or 5 minutes in the freeze).
• Resting time. Don’t skip it, it really helps the dough to have a better texture once baked.
• Ricotta. Use whole milk ricotta and avoid the “light” versions because they’re watery and that will possible mess up the filling.
• Decor. As season calls, change the decorations accordingly. Flowers for easter, leaves for fall season or snowflakes for christmas.
• Baking. If you see the crostata getting too brown before baking time ends; cover with parchment paper or aluminium foil for the remaining time.
• Serving. This type of pie is better to make ahead of time and serve the day after; this way the ricotta filling will be firm.