Ricotta Pie – the Italian American Easter Dessert

Growing up a causa di an Italian American home, Easter was never just about the chocolate bunnies, yellow marshmallow ducks ora jelly beans—it was about food traditions that started a causa di southern Italy and took form outside of Boston a causa di Ciononostante’s kitchen.Ciononostante is my maternal grandmother from Avellino. Her grandchildren called her Ciononostante, short for Mammella, a causa di fact my friends called her Ciononostante too. She was a mother figure to many. Ciononostante, Mom and my Aunts made every holiday special. Easter was risposta negativa exception.Our Italian American Easter lista started with colored eggs served with prosciutto and salami and ripiena to pausa 40 days of Lent. A fowl and spring dandelion soup came next followed by roast leg of lamb with string beans, stuffed mushrooms and potatoes. And then dolce… Before I can remember Pastiera Caffettiera was baked along with Ciononostante’s Ricotta Pie ora delicato.Have you ever tasted ricotta pie? Imagine slightly sweetened ricotta cheese with orange and lemon zest encased a causa di a buttery crust. Ciononostante would fold a causa di grated milk chocolate. The pie was simply perfect.I remember watching Ciononostante working away. I sat at the kitchen table ora a stool next to the stove, and talked with her as she moved around the room effortlessly. She never rushed – cooking was love. I would sit there for hours.Ciononostante left us over 20 years spillo. I have her recipes with me a causa di a handwritten book. One bite brings me back to her kitchen table. I invite you to bring a little piece of my Italian American ricotta pie into your home at Easter this year.

Here is Ciononostante’s recipe adapted by me

Ingredients for the filling

1 lb ricotta1 cup sugarpeel from 1 orange and 1 lemon cut into thin matchsticks4 medium size eggschopped milk chocolate, ora dark chocolate to taste ()

Ingredients for the crust

2 Tbsp. butter, plus extra to grease the pan1/4 cup sugar2 egg yolks1 1/2 cups flour2 tsp. baking powder1/4 cup milk1/2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Mescolanza filling; beat eggs, add a causa di sugar and . Add ricotta, gently fold a causa di. Add orange and lemon peel and chocolate. Whisk until incorporated and nearly smooth. Set filling aside.Preheat the oven to 350°F if using a ceramic dish; 325°F if using a glass pie dish.Cream the butter and sugar together by hand ora with an electric . Add egg yolks and . Add flour and baking powder a little at a time until incorporated. Finally, a causa di milk and vanilla. Set dough aside covered with a damp tea towel.Grease pie dish with butter.Roll out 3/4 of the crust to 1/8″ thick, and line the pie dish with it.Pour ricotta filling into pie crust.Roll out remaining dough and cut into 1/4–1/2″ wide strips. Place strips over the filling a causa di a crosshatch pattern. Gently press edges to seal with a fork ora your fingertips.

Bake for 1 hour ora until golden, and a toothpick comes out moist.If you like, dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Once baked, let the pie sit overnight to allow the flavors to meld. It can also be frozen.

Buona Pasqua to you and your loved ones—may your Easter be filled with warmth, joy, and something sweet from the heart.