Baked Ricotta Pie
Baked Ricotta Pie with savory or sweet toppings
This pie provides a creamy and substantial body that can be turned into a sweet dessert or a savory side depending on the topping of choice. Our favorite basic tart dough is quickly and easily made in a food processor, providing unbelievable support that holds up to a (physically) heavier filling. It’s an appropriate brunch or light lunch accompaniment that can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Baked Ricotta Pie savory or sweet
texture
With a crisp, thin crust and a creamy whipped filling, there’s a lot to like about this recipe. It’s a wonderful starting point for a wide variety of toppings (see below). The key thing to remember is this is NOT CREAM CHEESE so do not expect silky texture. This is a ricotta filling, therefore it has a small curd and is fluffier and lighter than a cheesecake.
Savory vs Sweet
While the filling does contain lemon and almond in flavor, it doesn’t automatically designate itself to being a sweet dessert or a savory side. We tried an array of toppings including jam, lemon curd, harissa, and basil oil (recipe below). The basil oil would be fantastic with fresh summer tomatoes.
When to serve ricotta pie
We are big advocates of pie for breakfast and this is no exception. This riccotta pie served cold in summer would be a different but pleasing way to start the day. It would also work as part of a brunch or lunch. Specifically, the kind of lunch where you have a glass of wine and eat outside with a salad.
On blind baking pie crust
Many recipes for ricotta pies blind bake the bottom crust. In an original test using a different crust, we did blind bake and still the bottom crust was soggy. In this adjusted recipe, we opted to use our favorite classic tart dough from Bon Appetit. This dough is one we often use for gallettes and it holds a shocking amount of weight. It also means you don’t need to blind bake it.
Baked Ricotta Pie
INGREDIENTS
Tart Dough: (can be made and refrigerated 2 days ahead)
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cup flour plus additional for dusting
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
3 large eggs (one for an egg wash)
Ricotta Filling:
2 pounds whole milk ricotta, strained
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs + additional egg for egg wash
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Basil Oil (optional topping):
17 grams basil leaves
8 grams spinach leaves for color
100 mL grape seed oil
DIRECTIONS
Make tart dough by adding sugar, salt and flour in the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a blade. Pulse to combine. Using the grating attachment, feed the butter through the chute and pulse until the mix looks sandy/like pebbles. Pour in two beaten eggs (the other will be used for an egg wash). Pulse until the dough comes together. It won’t look like it will work at first, but keep pulsing. Divide in half. Wrap and chill for two hours before using.
Strain ricotta using cheesecloth and a fine mesh sieve for several hours to remove any extra liquid. Discard the liquid.
To make the filling, add the strained ricotta to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat for 2 minutes until light and smooth in texture. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract. Beat for about a minute until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 375 F with a rack in the middle.
Transfer the chilled tart dough to a work surface dusted with flour.
Roll out the dough to fit a roughly 9 inch deep dish pie plate. Remember, you want the dough to overhang because it will shrink during baking.
Roll out the other half of the dough to a rough 10-inch circle to prepare to top the tart.
Place the pie tin on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pie tin with the base crust.
Place the top pie crust over the top of the filling, extending past the rim. Seal the edges and remove excess dough.
Use a fork and drag across the top crust very lightly. This will create a pattern but do not push through to the filling.
Brush the top crust and edges with an egg wash.
Bake for about 40 minutes. The top crust should be golden and lightly puffed except for the very center portion which should be flat and unrisen.
Let cool for at least 3 hours on an elevated trivet or rack. Serve at room temperature or cold from the fridge. Store any extra in the fridge.
To make basil oil if desired, blend ingredients in a blender or with an immersion blender, then strain through cheesecloth and discard solids. Drizzle over top and store in fridge. To make a brighter green color you can blanch and shock the herbs first. We didn’t here.
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