Almost Italian

For Italian-Americans glassy-eyed after the Feast of the Seven Fishes or whatever they have enjoyed for Christmas Eve at their cena della vigilia, Torta di Ricotta is the perfect coda. And the pie is equally welcome the following day, at Christmas dinner. Diners sated by antipasti, courses of lasagne, multiple meat preparations, and, maybe even (after the 1960′s) a turkey look forward to the cheese tarte to cap two days of over-the-top feasting.

Photo Copyright © 2009, Skip Lombardi

My Sicilian grandmother made torta di ricotta twice each year, for Christmas and Easter. And as I’ve written elsewhere, when I was old enough to express a preference for my birthday celebration, she would happily oblige her first grand-child with a ricotta pie—in late June.

Heavier than Torta di Nonna, a custard-filled Tuscan cousin, torta di ricotta seems more widespread among Italian-Americans, perhaps because a ricotta and egg filling is easier to master than a delicate custard.

A few things to bear in mind:

1) Even though ricotta is indeed a fresh cheese, Torta di Ricotta is not a cheesecake.

2) There is no substitute for the rich yet delicate flavor and texture of good ricotta. So, this is no time to cut corners or calories; you will do neither your diners nor the recipe any favors by substituting non-fat or skim-milk ricotta. A feast-day dish is precisely that; eaten only a couple of times a year, it deserves to be made with the very best ingredients.

3) The recipe has many subtle variations. Before I came along, my grandmother had used candied fruit in the filling (probably candied citron rind). But family sources say Little Skipper found the fruit to be too bitter, so nonna switched to maraschino cherries. And when my maternal aunts started venturing over to help with the Christmas baking, they added grated chocolate to the filling. In our family, the one constant has been the toasted almonds…

As Sicilian desserts go, torta di ricotta is not be the sweetest, the richest, nor the most stylish. But for me and many others, it’s a slice of nostalgia, more celebratory than any other creation on the Christmas groaning board.

Torta di Ricotta

Enough crust for the top and bottom of one 10″ pie

Pasta frolla (made with a little sugar and an egg) is the traditional sweet pastry of southern Italy, but many American-Italians prefer an unsweetened crust. Whatever your choice, it’s worth the effort to make yours from scratch and, in a food processor, it takes only a minute.

Filling

2 Cups whole-milk ricotta
1 Large egg + 1 egg yolk
1/3 Cup granulated sugar
1-2 Tbsp fine polenta (corn meal)
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
Freshly grated rind from one lemon
1/4 Cup dried pitted cherries*, coarsely chopped
1/4 Cup diced dried fruit** (optional)
1/4 Cup coarsely chopped, unsalted almonds, lightly toasted

First, make your crust. Divide the dough into two balls and refrigerate (covered or wrapped in waxed paper) for at least 20 minites, or until your filling is ready.

In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the ricotta with the whole egg, extra yolk, polenta, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon rind until you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the chopped fruit. Set filling aside and reserve the almonds.

Preheat the oven to 350. It is important that the oven not be too hot, as the crust could brown before the filling has set.

On a floured surface, roll out one ball of dough and line your pie plate, leaving at least 3/4 inch of dough overhanging the edge of the pan. (We made 6 individual tortalette from our dough, which would have been enough for a large, two-crust pie.)

Pour the filling into the pie-shell; it should come to 3/8-inch below the edge of the pan.

Sprinkle the chopped almond bits across the filling and, with a spatula, gently pat them into the filling. (They will sink a little further, but this way, they will not all fall to the bottom.)

Roll out the second ball of dough and cut it into strips to make a lattice across the top of the filling. Form an attractive edge as you pinch the ends of the lattice and the overhanging pie-shell dough together. At no stage should you OVER-HANDLE the pastry dough. Ugly is better than tough. Or, as an Italian would say: Brutta ma buona!

Bake the pie for at least 25 minutes and check to be sure the crust is not browning too quickly. If it is, tent a sheet of foil loosely over the top of the pie and continue to bake until the filling has puffed up. The filling will become golden, but it should not brown. Test the filling for doneness with a straw or the point of a sharp knife, which should come out clean. Depending on your oven, you will need 30-50 minutes to bake your pie.

Allow pie to cool completely and then keep it in a cool, dry spot at room temperature until serving. Many feel that this torta tastes best when made one a day ahead, and we would encourage you to do that—provided you have a secure, undisclosed location in which to hide it from all those (like me!) who are prone to nostalgia dei vecchi tempi.

Buon Natale!