Italian Rice Pie (Pastiera di Riso)

Italian Rice Pie is a classic Italian dessert that is commonly served at Easter. Known also as Italian Easter Rice Pie or Pastiera di Riso, this pie can be made and refrigerated up to three days in advance.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian Rice Pie

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 50

Servings servings

Calories 342kcal

Author Angela Allison

Equipment

9 inch springform pan

Ingredients

Crust (Pasta Frolla)

2 cups all purpose flour (270 grams)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup cold butter, cubed

Rice Pie Filling

4 cups milk (whole or 2%)
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
4 large eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese, drained

Instructions

For the Crust (Pasta Frolla)

To make the crust for the rice pie, start by pulsing together in a large food processor fitted with the blade attachment the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then, add in the eggs and cold cubed butter. Pulse just until the mixture is well combined. (If the dough is too crumbly, you can add in a a few drops of water).
Pour the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Rice Pie Filling

In a large saucepan, combine the uncooked arborio rice and milk. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer, stirring frequently, until all of the milk is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to mix together 1 cup sugar, ½ cup room temperature butter, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and lemon zest. Mix until the mixture is light and fluffy; about 2 minutes.
To the bowl, add in the 4 large eggs, beating after each addition. Then, mix in the ricotta until the mixture is well combined. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to mix in the cooled rice mixture until well combined; set aside.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack near the center of the oven.
Once it has chilled, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to make an 14-inch circular shape. Place the dough in a 9-inch springform pan. Use excess dough to fill in any holes in the dough.
Pour the rice filling into the pie crust.
Bake on center rack in oven for about 70-80 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is set.
Remove the pie from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

You can make the shortcrust dough up to three days in advance. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
This recipe makes a lot of filling and you need a tall pan like a springform pan to hold it all. If you don't have a springform pan, you could make this in two standard-sized pie plates.
Arborio rice is needed to get the creamy texture for the filling. White rice will not give the same consistency.
Be sure to stir the rice and milk frequently so it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. You want the rice to cook past al dente, until all of the milk is absorbed.
To get the rice to cool faster, spread it on a baking sheet to cool.
Italian Rice Pie will take anywhere from 70-90 minutes to cook. You'll know the pie is done when it is golden brown and the center doesn't jiggle as much when you move. You can also test for doneness using a toothpick.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the collar from the springform pan. Let cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing.
You can make this pastiera di riso up to three days in advance. Store the cooled pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Leftover cake can be refrigerated for up to a week.

Nutrition