Italian Sausage Ricotta Pesto Pie Recipes

RICOTTA PIE (OLD ITALIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• Beat the 12 eggs, 2 cups sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Stir in the ricotta cheese and the chocolate chips, if using (see Cook's Note). Set aside.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and 1 cup sugar together. Cut in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in 4 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Divide dough into 4 balls, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two deep-dish pie plates.
• Roll out 2 of the balls to fit into the pie pans. Do not make the crust too thick, as it will expand during cooking. Do not flute the edges of the dough. Roll out the other 2 balls of dough and cut each into 8 narrow strips for the top of the crust. (Alternately, you can use cookie cutters and place the cutouts on the top of the pies.)
• Pour the ricotta filling evenly into the pie crusts. Top each pie with 8 narrow strips of dough or cookie cut-outs. Brush top of pie with milk for shine, if desired. Place foil on the edge of crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes; remove foil. Rotate pies on the rack so they will bake evenly. Continue to bake until a knife inserted in the center of each pie comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool completely on wire racks. Refrigerate until serving.

ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE RECIPE (EASTER)

Steps:

• Make the pasta frolla dough and set in fridge while preparing the filling.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack to bottom third.
• Make filling: If your ricotta has extra water strain it (see notes)
• Start by whipping the ricotta in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl using a hand held electric mixer. Whip as you would whipped cream- very smooth consistency.
• Then, add the sugar and mix again. Add the eggs one by one to the ricotta mixture- scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed.
• Add the almond and vanilla extract and lemon zest, mix to incorporate.
• Set aside while you roll out your dough.
• Roll out the dough to fit your pie plate (9-inch). The thickness should be about 1/8 of an inch. Carefully fold over and fit into your pie pan.
• Pour in the filling.
• Optional step: Decorate with strips of dough and brush tops of dough strips with egg wash.
• Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the center filling is set. Place foil on the edge of crust to prevent over-browning (if needed).
• Cool completely, about 2 hours, on a wire rack and refrigerate until serving. If desired, top with freshly whipped cream. Enjoy!

IMPOSSIBLY EASY ITALIAN SAUSAGE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Spread sausage in pie plate. Sprinkle with vegetables.
• In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE RICOTTA PESTO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove pie crust from the freezer.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage. Cook, breaking up the sausage, until juices are released, about 3 minutes. Add red onion, red bell pepper, and garlic; cook and stir until sausage is browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes more. Drain and discard grease.
• Combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, pesto, Romano cheese, lime juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and lemon pepper in a small bowl. Spread over the pie crust. Sprinkle the sausage mixture over the cheese mixture. Arrange zucchini and walnuts on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is browned, about 30 minutes.

CHEESY BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
• Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

RICOTTA-PESTO PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND KALE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, for about 9 minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked.) Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Set aside.
• While pasta is cooking, place sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and leave grease in the pan.
• Add oil to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add kale, nutmeg, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook until kale is soft, 5 to 10 more minutes.
• Return sausage back to the pan. Add ricotta, pesto, and 6 ounces mozzarella cheese. Add reserved pasta and cooking water. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.