Pizza di Ricotta

Guido Pedrelli

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Guido Pedrelli
Italian Cuisine Expert and Food Blogger
Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli, the mastermind behind Nonna Box, has honed his culinary expertise for decades, inspired by family feasts in Emilia-Romagna. Mentored by his restaurateur nonna, he mastered Italian classics and furthered his skills with professional culinary studies in desserts and gelato making from Mec3. Today, he shares this rich legacy and authentic recipes through Nonna Box.
Expertise: Italian cuisine, Pasta, Pizza, Pastry, Dessert

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The Apulian tradition is rich in desserts with inimitable taste. When Easter approaches in Puglia, it is traditional to prepare pizza di ricotta. Although it has nothing to do with traditional pizza, this is how Apulians call this dessert.

This shortcrust pie — essentially a ricotta-based cheesecake — is usually filled with ricotta, chocolate chips, and candied fruit. Of course, this dessert is delicious every day of the year and is excellent when served for afternoon tea or breakfast.

Pizza di ricotta is a typical recipe of Apulian grandmothers, and it cannot be missing from the Easter table. This easy-to-make pie is soft and fragrant like few other desserts.

Here is the traditional recipe to save for next Easter or prepare whenever you wish.

ricotta based cheesecake pizza di ricotta sweet pie

pizza di ricotta traditional recipe

Pizza di Ricotta (Italian Ricotta Sweet Pie)

An easy delicious sweet pie made with ricotta cheese, chocolate and sugar from the Apulia region of Italy.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 548kcal
Author: Guido Pedrelli

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 300 grams flour
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 120 grams white sugar
  • 150 grams unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Filling:

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 300 grams white sugar
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 600 grams ricotta if the ricotta is really fresh, it needs to drain overnight. Trader Joe’s ricotta is already drained
  • 150 grams dark chocolate
  • 1 small glass brandy

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 320°F.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, cubes of butter, 1 egg, 2 egg yolks, and lemon zest.
  • Mix the ingredients rapidly to create a stiff ball of dough.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  • In another mixing bowl, add the ricotta, sugar, and two egg yolks and mix together until the yolks are completely blended into the sugar and ricotta and the mixture is smooth.
  • Break the dark chocolate into small pieces and add it to the ricotta filling.
  • Add the brandy to the filling and mix. Place the filling in the refrigerator.
  • Take the pasta frolla (dough) from the refrigerator and spread ⅔ of it onto a lightly floured pastry board.
  • Grease a 10-inch cake pan with butter.
  • Press the dough into the cake pan and cut off the excess dough that hangs over the edges. Using a fork, pierce the bottom of the dough in several places.
  • Spread the ricotta and chocolate filling over the dough.
  • Use the remaining dough to create a lattice pattern on the surface of the filling.
  • Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit until cool. Place in the refrigerator until chilled and serve.
Serving: 100g | Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 646IU | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 3mg
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