Pastiera di Riso is a sweet Italian rice pie served at Easter. It’s similar to a pastiera napoletana, but some would say it tastes even better!
Italian Easter Rice Pie (Pastiera di Riso) always makes an appearance at Easter. The rice and ricotta blend beautifully with the orange and cinnamon flavors to make a beautiful Easter pie. This rice pie is very similar to another Easter classic dessert, pastiera napoletana, but the cooked wheat in the filling is replaced with rice.
Deciding between pastiera napoletana and pastiera di riso is a matter of personal preference. I say try both and see which one you like better! (but they’re both so delicious, it would be so hard to choose!)
What is Pastiera di Riso?
It’s a sweet Italian pie that is served at Easter time. It’s filled with sweet cooked rice and ricotta, and has flavors of orange and cinnamon in it. A shortcrust pastry (Italian pie dough) holds the beautiful filling together.
How to make Pastiera di Riso (Italian Easter Rice Pie) – Step by Step
Make the crust:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, and baking powder (photo 1)
Add eggs, egg yolks and butter (photo 2). Mix on medium speed until large, moist crumbs start to form – about 2-3 minutes (photo 3)
Remove dough from the bowl and with your hands on a smooth surface, gently form the dough into a ball.
Wrap the dough in saran wrap and place in the fridge for approximately 1 hour (photo 4)
Make the Rice Filling:
Add the rice and water to a pot (photo 5 &6), and over medium heat, let them come to a boil.
Once rice and water have started to boil, cook for 8 minutes, stirring often (photo 7)
At this point, add the milk, sugar, orange peel and cinnamon sticks (photo 8)
Still on medium heat, cook the rice mixture for 30 minutes, stirring often so that the rice doesn’t stick to the pot, until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid has absorbed (photo 9)
At this point, remove the orange peel. Add butter to the rice (photo 10)
Turn heat to low, and cook for 7-10 minutes until all the liquid has absorbed and the mixture is dense in consistency.
Add the rice to a shallow square dish, level it out, and cover with saran wrap. Let it cool (photo 11)
If your ricotta is very moist and has a lot of liquid in it, drain it with a colander.
In a big bowl, add ricotta, beaten eggs, fior d’arancio, and cinnamon (photo 12)
Mix with a wooden spoon or whisk until all ingredients are combined (photo 13)
Once the rice mixture has cooled completely, add it to the ricotta mixture, slowly, a few spoons at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until the rice is fully incorporated into the mixture (photo 14) Set the filling aside.
Roll out the dough and finish the pastiera:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your pie dish with butter, and then coat with a thin layer of flour.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough a few times to soften it. Then roll it out until it’s about 1/2 cm thick (photo 15)
Transfer the dough to the pie dish (photo 16), and cut off any hanging edges (photo 17)
Fill the pastiera with the filling (photo 18)
Decorate the top of the pastiera with a lattice design. The lattices should sit gently on top of the dough (photo 19)
Bake the pastiera for approximately 60 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let the pastiera cool and come to room temperature, and enjoy (photo 20)
Extra Tips for Making this Pastiera with Rice:
Arborio rice is the best rice to use for this type of pie, since it is creamy and will give a great consistency to the pie
When peeling the orange, try to keep the peels as large as possible, since you will be removing the peels from the rice mixture. They will be easier to remove this way.
When mixing in the rice with the ricotta, it’s important to add the rice in slowly (a few spoonfuls at a time) – this will make it easier to mix it in and ensure it gets incorporated evenly.
Pasta frolla (the crust used in this recipe), is a very crumbly dough. The best way to transfer it to the baking dish is to roll it on to the rolling pin, and roll it out over the baking dish, as shown in the process photos. If it breaks in spots once transferred to the pie dish, just patch the spots up with extra dough.
This recipe was made in a 9 inch springform pan, so the filling amounts are suited to a pan of this size.
It’s best to use a metal pan when making a pastiera – you will get the best result this way!
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, and baking powder.
Add eggs, egg yolks and butter. Mix on medium speed until large, moist crumbs start to form (about 2-3 minutes).
Remove dough from the bowl and with your hands on a smooth surface, gently form the dough into a ball.
Wrap the dough in saran wrap and place in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.
Make the Rice Filling:
Add the rice and water to a pot, and over medium heat, let them come to a boil.
Once rice and water have started to boil, cook for 8 minutes, stirring often.
At this point, add the milk, sugar, orange peel and cinnamon sticks.
Still on medium heat, cook the rice mixture for 30 minutes, stirring often so that the rice doesn't stick to the pot, until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid has absorbed. If rice is cooking too quickly, turn the heat down slightly.
At this point, remove the orange peel and cinnamon sticks.
Turn heat down to low, add butter to the rice, and cook for 7-10 minutes until all the liquid has absorbed and the mixture is dense in consistency.
Add the rice to a shallow square dish, level it out, and cover with saran wrap. Let it cool.
If your ricotta is very moist and has a lot of liquid in it, drain it with a colander.
In a big bowl, add ricotta, beaten eggs, fior d'arancio, and cinnamon. Mix with a wooden spoon or whisk until all ingredients are combined.
Once the rice mixture has cooled completely, add it to the ricotta mixture, slowly, a few spoons at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until the rice is fully incorporated into the mixture. Set the filling aside.
Roll out the dough and finish the pastiera:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your pie dish with butter, and then coat with a thin layer of flour.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough a few times to soften it. Then roll it out until it's about 1/2 cm thick.
Transfer the dough to the pie dish, and cut off any hanging edges. Fill with the filling.
Decorate the top of the pastiera with a lattice design. The lattices should sit gently on top of the dough.
Bake the pastiera for approximately 60 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let the pastiera cool and come to room temperature, and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Arborio rice is the best rice to use for this type of pie, since it is creamy and will give a great consistency to the pie
When peeling the orange, try to keep the peels as large as possible, since you will be removing the peels from the rice mixture. They will be easier to remove this way.
When cooking the rice, make sure stir often so it doesn't stick to the pot.
When mixing in the rice with the ricotta, it's important to add the rice in slowly (a few spoonfuls at a time) - this will make it easier to mix it in and ensure it gets incorporated evenly.
This pastiera tastes best once it has cooled and come to room temperature.
This recipe was made in a 9.5 inch Pyrex glass pie dish, so the filling amounts are suited to a dish of this size.
Nutrition Facts
Pastiera di Riso (Italian Easter Rice Pie)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 387Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 117mg39%
Sodium 119mg5%
Potassium 230mg7%
Carbohydrates 57g19%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 27g30%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 480IU10%
Calcium 164mg16%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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