Ricotta Pie (Pizza di Ricotta)

"My mother usually made a lattice crust for the top, but it's such a delicious crust, a whole crust is fine." Carmen Flak To see how two great cooks prepare this ricotta pie, please read Carmen's story Working with Mama.

• 3 pounds ricotta
• 1 cup sugar
• 10 egg whites
• 1 lemon to squeeze on top

Crust

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 10 egg yolks
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted, softened butter

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Filling:  Drain the ricotta through cheese cloth or strainer. Combine sugar and ricotta. Whip egg whites until stiff. Fold into ricotta. Put in refrigerator while preparing crust.

Crust:  Combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Make deep indentation in center of flour. Put egg yolks and softened butter into indentation. Using fingers, draw flour into egg/butter mix until flour is completely drawn in and a ball forms.

Knead until shiny, about 6-8 minutes.

Chill in plastic wrap or waxed paper in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Divide dough in 2 - 4 pieces. Rolling between two sheets of waxed paper, roll out 2 large circles of dough for lattice crust, 4 circles for covered crust.

Line each pan with dough. Cut off excess dough from sides. Lattice can be made from trimmings gathered and rolled a second time. This forms an exceptionally tender crust.

Pour chilled filling into crust. Cover with a lattice or a crust.

Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: Two 10-12" pies

"Save the scraps, sprinkle them with sugar and bake. Great nibbles! " Carmen

recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com

Contributor: Carmen Flak

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