ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
This wonderful spring dessert has been in my culinary basket since 2001, originally discovered thanks to the wonderful culinary magazine, Taste.
YES, you can pair wine with this gorgeous treat! I’ll discuss the wine pairing last.
We made this beautiful treat April, 2020, while home sheltering during the COVID-19 crisis. We were in the mood for a treat. It’s simple, beautiful, and so delicious.
The dough — pasticciotto — is actually a traditional Italian pastry dough and can be used in many different Italian themed pastries, often using a ricotta filling. Some even include meat.
It stands the test of my three major values:
Easy to prepare in your home kitchen
Let the food speak for itself
Elevate what you prepare with artistic plating and pairing
The basis for this cheesecake is ricotta rather than the more traditional cream cheese generally used.
ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
(Pizza Dolce di Ricotta)
serves 8
This typical Italian dessert is often served as an Easter specialty in southern Italy. The flavorings vary according to region. Toasted slivered almonds, chopped chocolate and grated lemon and orange zests are sometimes added
INGREDIENTS
Pasta Frolla:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs, beaten
1 beaten egg for wash
Ricotta Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 pounds whole-milk ricotta cheese (3 cups)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon anisette liquor
1/4 cup finely chopped citron or candied orange peel or ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus extra for dusting
METHOD
For pasta frolla: In a bowl, mix dry ingredients using your fingers. Rub in butter until it resembles a fine meal. Stir in eggs. On a floured surface, knead dough lightly until smooth, then press into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until needed, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
For filling: In a large bowl, stir sugar into ricotta. Stir in eggs, one at a time, then stir in remaining ingredients.
To assemble:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Unwrap pasta frolla. On a lightly floured surface, knead lightly until malleable. Cut off a third of dough and reserve. Roll remaining dough into a 14-inch round. Fit into a buttered 9-inch round pan. Trim dough even with top of pan. Pour in filling. Dust with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
For lattice: Roll reserved dough into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle and cut into 10 3/4-inch-wide strips. Paint strips with beaten egg. Place 5 strips on filling in each direction, trimming as necessary to fit, forming a diagonal lattice. Using a small knife to loosen bottom curst, fold edge of bottom crust over edge of top crust.
Bake in lower third of oven until crust is browned and filling is set, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan. Run a sharp knife blade around inside of pan to loosen pastry. Invert onto a platter, then re-invert onto another.
Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
EASTER SERVING SUGGESTION
Isn’t this cute? We paired this one with port.
