Pastiera is a a traditional Neapolitan Easter pie made with ricotta and rice or cooked grain usually made with a lattice crust. This Easy No Crust Easter Pastiera version has all the delicious flavor and is so simple to make!
Thank goodness there is no shortage of desserts to make with ricotta! And I have found yet another one.
This delicious pastiera, also known as rice pie, is a delicious combination of Arborio rice cooked in milk (just like rice pudding) combined with ricotta, eggs, sugar and flavored with lemon to create this beautiful Easter dessert!
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What is pastiera?
Of Neapolitan origin, pastiera Napoletana was created to celebrate the return of Spring. However, pastiera has now become a popular Italian Easter recipe.
The traditional recipe is made with a pie crust and a pretty lattice top.
There are two types of pastiera, one made with rice and another with grano cotto, cooked wheat, combined with ricotta. This grano cotto version is referred to as grain or wheat pie.
I was inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe I came across and adapted to make this easy pastiera recipe without a crust.
Now I know many of you will say it's not the real thing if it's not made with the crust. But the truth is I don't always feel like making pie crust. And I'm sure you don't either!
This version of pastiera undoubtedly has all the delicious flavor even without the crust. Besides, no crust means less calories, right? Which means I can have more pastiera!
Ingredient List
- Rice: I use Arborio rice, the same rice you use to make risotto. This short grain starchy rice has a creamy texture once cooked.
- Ricotta: preferably whole milk ricotta that must be drained for at least 2 hours before preparing this recipe. Otherwise you'll have a soggy pastiera that will take hours to set! If you can't find ricotta at your local grocery store, make your own with this easy homemade ricotta!
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
How to make Pastiera
- Step 1: Bring milk to a boil. Add salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon and stir in the rice. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes
- Step 2: Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl and stir in the zest of 1 lemon and ½ cup sugar. Let cool completely.
- Step 3: Place the previously drained ricotta in a large bowl and add 3 eggs; 3 egg yolks; and an additional ½ cup of sugar. Mix well.
- Step 4: Fold in the cooled rice mixture with a spatula. Pour the mixture in a greased and floured 9- inch springform pan. Set the pan on a baking sheet (in case the batter leaks).
- Step 5: Bake at 350 degrees F for about 90 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Step 6: Let cool completely before sliding a knife around the edge of the pastiera to remove the ring. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Tips and suggestions for making Pastiera
- It is important to drain the ricotta of excess water. If the batter is too wet, it will take forever for the cake to set when baking. Trust me, I know this!
- The cake will still be slightly jiggly in the center when you take it out of the oven. However, it will set as it cools so resist the temptation to over bake it.
- I recommend you make it a day ahead as it tastes better after it has been refrigerated and the flavors have had time to mingle.
Pastiera di Riso FAQs
Yes, you can purchase grano cotto in jars in Italian grocery stores.
Pastiera can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.
You can freeze pastiera. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container (a freezer bag works) and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
Here are more Easter recipes for you to check out!
If you tried this Sicilian Cauliflower Meatballs or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how much you enjoyed it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy No Crust Easter Pastiera Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- ¾ cup Arborio rice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 cups granulated sugar, divided
- unsalted butter, for pan
- 3 lbs fresh ricotta, drained through cheesecloth at least 2 hours
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, bring the milk to a boil over medium high heat. Add the cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the rice. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the milk has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the lemon zest and ½ cup sugar. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, whole eggs and egg yolks and remaining ½ cup sugar. Use a spatula to fold in the cooled rice mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet in case of leakage while baking.
- Bake about 90 minutes, until golden. Cover with foil if starting to brown too much. Transfer pan to cooling rack.
- When the pastiera has cooled completely, run a knife around the edge to loosen the ring before removing it. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Keep refrigerated.
Notes
- It is important to drain the ricotta of excess water. If the batter is too wet, it will take forever for the cake to set while baking.
- The cake will still be slightly jiggly in the center when you take it out of the oven. However, it will set as it cools so resist the temptation to over bake it.
- I recommend you make it a day ahead as it tastes better after it has been refrigerated and the flavors have had time to blend together.
Nutrition
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Kathy M
I have a quick question. Just tasted the cooled cake , it is tasty , but there seems to be different pans used. I used an 8 “ pan , but did not fill this all the way to the top, due to concerns about spilling over. I have a 4.5 inch springform pan that I also filled I adjusted my time to 65 minutes. The recipe started out calling for a 8 “ , then went to 9” inch pan in comments. Please advise. I will make this again, as the flavors are a nice balanc, but need clarification. Thanks ! Kathy
Nadia
Hello Kathy, thank you for pointing this out. Unfortunately it was a typo (and now corrected). It is indeed a 9 inch pan that I always use. So glad that you enjoyed the flavors of this recipe, thank you!
Caty
I am making this for the first time and have 2 questions. The recipe says to lightly beat the egg yokes, should the whole eggs be lightly beaten as well? And second, I only have a 10 in spring form pan. Can I use that - or should I use a regular 8 in round pan? Thank you!! I can't wait to make this!
Nadia
Hello Caty, the whole eggs can be beaten normally. I would stick to the spring form pan as will be much easier to remove the sides rather than remove it from a round pan. It will definitely not be as high as that one baked in the 9 inch pan but that's ok. Hope you enjoy!
Cheryl
I just made the recipe using wheat berries instead of rice. The pastiera is still cooling down but I noticed it is seeping sweet syrup from the bottom. Could I have done something wrong?
Nadia
Hello Cheryl, it has happened to me that a bit of liquid leaches out around the bottom of the pan but it usually thickens and sets as it cools and does not affect the texture of the pastiera. How did it turn out?
Cheryl
Nadia it turned out wonderful.
Nadia
Excellent, I’m so happy to hear that. Enjoy and happy Easter!
Vivian
Hi have you tried to freeze this cheesecake and how well does it hold up & do you put it in water bath and wrap the spring form pan in foil?
Nadia
Hello Vivian, no I have not tried freezing it to be honest with you. I wonder how the texture of the ricotta/rice texture would be once defrosted. And no I did not bake it in a water bath or wrap it in foil. I do tend to put a pan underneath it in case it leaks a bit while baking.
Jennifer Carrano
Hi,
Can this recipe use wheat berries (grain) in place of the rice? I believe it was asked by another person, but wasn’t sure if the measurement was cooked or uncooked. If so how much grain once it’s cooked?
Thanks
Nadia
Hi Jenniefer, yes you can. According to my caculations you would need about 20 oz of wheat berries, the kind you buy already cooked in a jar, instead of rice. The amount of rice is 3/4 cups before it is cooked and it triples in volume once cooked. Hope this helps!
Jennifer Carrano
Thank you so so much! I can't wait to try this recipe for Easter!
Nadia
You are welcome Jennifer, I hope you enjoy it! Do be sure to drain your ricotta well otherwise if it is too moist it will take hours to bake. All the best to you!
MaryAnn Brown
I usually make this pie, but I never used rice. Can I just use the ricotta and all the other ingredients??
Thanks
Nadia
Hello MaryAnn, I don't think the consistency would be correct. So if you prefer a version without any rice I have other recipes on my site such as https://www.mangiabedda.com/moms-sicilian-ricotta-pie/; https://www.mangiabedda.com/no-crust-italian-pear-and-ricotta-cheesecake/; https://www.mangiabedda.com/sweet-ricotta-easter-calzone/; or https://www.mangiabedda.com/crustless-ricotta-pistachio-cheesecake/ just to name a few! HOpe this helps!
Linda Treffiletti-Serafin
Can you please tell me the difference between Pastiera and ricotta pie. Maybe the crust. I know somwe people add raisns soaked in rum too???
Nadia
Hello Linda, pastiera is traditionally made with grano cotto (cooked wheat) or rice and combined with ricotta. On the other hand ricotta pie has a filling that consists of ricotta, eggs and sugar. Hope this helps!
Tammy
Can I add a small can of crushed pineapple drained to the mixture? If so do I omit the lemon zest. Some rice pies call for pineapple. I like the added flavor. Your thoughts…
Nadia
Hello Tammy, that sounds like an interesting idea, I've never come across that before. Since I have never tried it myself I can't be sure of the outcome. However, if I were to try I'd be sure to drain it well so as to not add too much extra moisture to the cake otherwise it may not set well. And I would probably omit the lemon due to the added acidity in the pineapple. I'm quite intrigues, if you do give it a try please let me know how it turns out!
Tammy
Hello Nadia
I did try the pineapple and it turned out beautifully. Instead of adding the lemon zest I added a small amount of orange zest. The combination worked out well. Thank you for your response.
Tammy
Nadia
Thank you very much for sharing your results with us Tammy, sounds delicious!
Debbie
Tammy,
Perhaps you could add it to the rice pie after baking it, like a topping. I would omit the lemon if you decide to do that.
Marie scarpellino
I have been making this cake for years. It is my family's favorite.
Nadia
Thank you Marie, I'm thrilled to hear you enjoy my Pastiera recipe!
Donna
Thank you for sharing. My grandmother always made her rice pie without crust and also without ricotta cheese. Do you have a recipe for that? Or how can I substitute using your recipe. Thank you!
Nadia
Hello Donna, I have actually not heard of a rice pie recipe without ricotta in it. Do you know what your grandmother used instead? I'd be quite curious to know. Thanks!
Donna
Hi Nadia. I remember her cooking the rice in milk and sugar. Cooling the mixture then adding the eggs and vanilla. But not sure if the measured amount of ingredients. A custard would always form at the top.
Nadia
Hi Donna, I have not heard of this version without ricotta but it does sound delicioius! Thanks for sharing with me!
Anthony
Can you substitute sheet grain in place of rice?
Nadia
Hello Anthony, I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say sheet grain. Do you mean grano cotto or cooked wheat which is also traditionally used for this recipe? If so, yes it may be used instead of rice. Hope this helps!
Donna
Is it on to use basmati rice?
Nadia
Hello Donna, to be honest with you I'm not sure basmati rice would be best for this recipe. Arborio is a short grain rice that becomes white creamy when cooked in the milk and I'm not sure you would have the best result with basmati.
Ann
Hello
Thank you for providing this recipe, I have a recipe from my mother, but after a move her recipes are packed away. When I read that this was an adaptation of a MS recipe but without crust, and that many would think is not the real thing without the crust I was compelled to chime in. My grandmother, and mother both born in Italy, came to live here when my mom was four (very much Italian) and these women never made it with a crust, ever. It was made at Easter, the version with rice no wheat. This is my favorite Italian desert. Also this may sound odd but my mother would do a version at Christmas with dried fruit and called it Italian fruitcake. Your version looks to be most like my family's (to my memory) and Im excited to make your recipe and see how it tastes. I have not had it in years, but still remember how much I loved it. Thank you for what to me is authentic!
Nadia
Hello Ann, thank you for sharing this me, glad to hear that your mom's traditional recipe was also crustless! Your mom's fruitcake version sounds delicious as well! Hope you give this recipe a try, do let me know how it turns out. Happy New Year and all the best to you!
Paula
I have tried many different recipes looking for the perfect Easter pie. I finally found it with this recipe.!
Nadia
Hi Paula, this is no doubt a winning recipe due to it's simplicity and best of all no crust to prepare. So glad you enjoyed it!
Edward
I am preparing to make it. I have been looking for a recipe for a ricotta cake/pie that a friend's mother made for me 60 years ago. It would weep slightly because it was so moist. It looked like cake,and had a thin crust. She was a native of Sicily!
Is there a different recipe that my description reminds you of? Thanks
Nadia
Hi Edward, I have in fact shared my mom's recipe for Sicilian ricotta pie. Here it is: https://www.mangiabedda.com/moms-sicilian-ricotta-pie/. Hope this is the one you are looking for!
Edward
It looks delicious. But it does not look "weepy" or wet, as I remember eating. Is there a ricotta pie or cake that you can think of that has that wet texture? Thanks
Nadia
It is moist but not wet as you mentioned. I have one more recipe on my site in which the ricotta is quite wet however it is without a crust. Check it out here: https://www.mangiabedda.com/sweet-ricotta-easter-calzone/
Sarah
Delicious and easy! I make my own ricotta but definitely not essential. Huge hit with our Sicilian/ Greek family this Easter!
Nadia
Hello Sarah, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And I'm sure it is best with homemade ricotta when you have the time to make it. Thank you for your comment!
Lisa
Made this for Easter dessert this year. It was fantastic, not too sweet and simple to make. My nieces loved it and said it was "if rice pudding was a cake." One note is to definitely keep an eye on the browning in the last 20 minutes or so. One side started to brown very quickly before I caught it - probably should have covered it as suggested. I also pulled it out at 85 minutes but I was using a 9 inch pan.
Nadia
Hi Lisa, I also enjoy the fact that it is not too sweet, just right! I'm glad to hear your nieces enjoyed it as well, thanks for your comment!