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    Home » Desserts

    Easter Rice Pie (Pastiera di Riso)

    4.6 from 42 votes

    By Pina Bresciani ⁠— April 6, 2020 (updated February 15, 2022) — 29 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    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!

    A sweet Easter rice pie sitting on a cooling rack with oranges and cinnamon sticks in the background

    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!)

    2 slices of rice pie on a plate with a white napkin underneath
    Jump to:
    • What is Pastiera di Riso?
    • How to make Pastiera di Riso (Italian Easter Rice Pie) - Step by Step
    • Extra Tips for Making this Pastiera with Rice
    • Storing and freezing
    • Other Italian Holiday Recipes You Might Like
    • Recipe

    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)

    Step by step photos on how to make rice pie (#1-4)

    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)

    Step by step photos on how to make rice pie (#5-8)

    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)

    Step by step photos on how to make rice pie (#9-12)

    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 ½ cm thick (photo 15)

    Step by step photos on how to make rice pie (#13-26)

    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, top with powdered sugar if desired and enjoy! (photo 20)

    Step by step photos on how to make rice pie (#17-20)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.
    • I used quite a deep springform pan to make the pastiera, but if the pan used isn't that deep, there's a chance that the filling can overflow when baking. To mitigate this you can put the pan on a baking sheet to catch the filling, just in case it spills over.
    • It's best to use a metal pan when making a pastiera - you will get the best result this way!
    A rice pie on a cooling rack with a large slice cut out

    Storing and freezing

    You can store the pastiera in the fridge for up to one week, although it tastes better the sooner its consumed!

    You can also freeze it (I wrap it in cling wrap, then in tin foil in individual sized pieces). Then when ready to eat, thaw it and let it come to room temperature and enjoy! It will keep nicely in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Other Italian Holiday Recipes You Might Like

    • Pastiera Napoletana
    • Strawberry Crostata
    • The Best Struffoli

    If you’ve tried making this Pastiera di Riso, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.

    Recipe

    A sweet Easter rice pie sitting on a cooling rack with oranges and cinnamon sticks in the background
    Print Pin
    4.58 from 42 votes

    Pastiera di Riso (Italian Easter Rice Pie)

    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!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 2 hours hours
    Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings 12 people
    Calories 387kcal
    Author Pina Bresciani

    Ingredients

    For the Dough (Pasta Frolla):

    • 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 1 ¼ cup cubed butter at room temperature

    For the Filling:

    • 1 cup arborio rice
    • 2 ½ cups water
    • 2 cups whole milk
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • peel of one orange large pieces
    • ⅓ cup butter
    • 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
    • 1 tablespoon fior d'arancio (orange blossom water)
    • 4 eggs
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • powdered sugar for dusting

    Instructions

    Make the crust (pasta frolla):

    • 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 ½ 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, top with powdered sugar if desired, 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 inch springform metal pan, so the filling amounts are suited to a dish of this size.
    • I used quite a deep springform pan to make the pastiera, but if the pan used isn't that deep, there's a chance that the filling can overflow when baking. To mitigate this you can put the pan on a baking sheet to catch the filling, just in case it spills over.
    Nutrition Facts
    Pastiera di Riso (Italian Easter Rice Pie)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 387 Calories 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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    Comments

      4.58 from 42 votes (40 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ruth J. says

      March 19, 2021 at 2:49 pm

      Hello,
      I want to make this for my family's Easter dinner, but I'm having difficulty locating fior d'arancio (orange blossom water). Would orange extract be a good substitute?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Pina says

        March 20, 2021 at 12:10 am

        Hi Ruth! I haven't used orange extract in this dessert, so I would just omit the orange blossom water entirely and not replace with anything. You'll get a bit of the orange flavor from the orange peel that cooked with the rice.

        Reply
        • Jo Kukuka says

          March 29, 2024 at 6:18 pm

          I grate a little orange zest into the ricotta mixture.

          Reply
      • Lou says

        March 30, 2021 at 9:28 pm

        Hi Ruth,

        King Arthur Baking sells Fiori di Sicilia, which is just about the same thing and works beautifully in this recipe!

        https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/fiori-di-sicilia-1-oz

        Reply
      • Debra Watson says

        April 03, 2021 at 8:14 am

        Hello Ruth, , There are many variations to Pasteria. My family recipe actually calls for a tsp of pure lemon extract and a tsp of cinnamon. Orange water sounds lovely, but probably hard to find, but quite easy to make your own. In our recipe the ricotta is another recipe than the usual pasteria . Some pasteria has pineapple, sometimes ricotta pies do. There are many variations to these recipes. You can't ruin it by making your own.

        Reply
      • gina says

        April 07, 2022 at 11:16 pm

        I use cinnamon sticks in rice while cooking discard and lemon and orange zest to milk mixture lovely rice pudding flavoured pisteria

        Reply
        • Pina says

          April 10, 2022 at 12:44 am

          Gina, that sounds delicious!
          xo, Piina

          Reply
    2. Andrea says

      April 01, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      Hello,
      This is the closest recipe I could find to my late mother-in-law’s Pastiera. She was from southern Italy and, if my memory serves me correctly, she made her pies with just rice, no ricotta. She added bits of dark chocolate to some pies for the grandkids and drained pineapple to others. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for Easter, but will add chocolate to surprise my kids. Buona Pasqua!

      Reply
      • Pina says

        April 01, 2021 at 9:21 pm

        Hi Andrea! That makes me very happy! I love the addition of chocolate. I have found that there are so many versions of pastiera and it's cool that you're making it your own! Please let me know how it turns out! Buona Pasqua!
        -Pina

        Reply
    3. Teresa says

      April 02, 2021 at 11:19 am

      Morning, I’ve made to much filling, can I freeze it for another time? Buona pasqua.

      Reply
      • Pina says

        April 02, 2021 at 4:59 pm

        Hi Teresa! I've never tried freezing it, but I don't see why not. I think it would freeze quite well!

        Reply
    4. Regina says

      April 05, 2021 at 1:20 am

      Thank you for this recipe! I love the details! It turned out perfect! Great video too. It helped when I had a question about the consistency after the second boil.

      Reply
      • Pina says

        April 05, 2021 at 7:27 am

        Thank you Regina! I'm so glad you liked it.
        And I'm glad the video helped.
        -Pina

        Reply
    5. Michele R Lombardo says

      July 15, 2021 at 5:42 am

      5 stars
      I made this last week and it turned out perfect. It was much easier to make than I anticipated. I do wonder if adding some orange zest in addition to the orange water would give it a stronger flavor.

      Reply
      • Pina says

        July 15, 2021 at 5:40 pm

        Hi Michele I am so glad you liked it! Yes! You can definitely add orange zest in the filling to give it that stronger orange flavor. Happy baking!
        -Pina

        Reply
    6. Jill says

      February 20, 2023 at 3:21 am

      I was wondering if you could make two thin pies what adjustments should be made

      Reply
    7. Maria Tatarian says

      March 20, 2023 at 10:36 pm

      Thank you for the recipe! If I don’t have a springform pan can I use a deep metal pie dish? Would I be able to turn it upside down to take the pie out? I was thinking to make these for gifts for Easter for family and friends

      Reply
      • Pina says

        March 28, 2023 at 4:25 pm

        Hi Maria! A metal pie dish would work just fine! Yes you will be able to get the pie out by turning it upside down. Just to be extra cautious, you can line the pan with parchment and grease it. Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions.

        Pina

        Reply
    8. Ann Melendez says

      April 07, 2023 at 12:02 am

      I made this recipe the other day and followed directions the only thing I didn’t have was the orange blossom water so my question is when it was all done I cooled it totally then put it inside a plastic container with a tight seal and refrigerated it the next morning the pie was somewhat moist in texture
      Is that how it is supposed to be or should it be more with less moisture more solid it has a wet taste

      Reply
      • Pina says

        April 07, 2023 at 4:31 am

        Hi Ann, the final result should definitely not be dry, but somewhat moist. With that being said, it should not be completely wet, it may need to bake more if it is too wet. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions!
        -Pina

        Reply
    9. Brian Ablett says

      April 09, 2023 at 9:44 am

      Is this recipe available in metric measurements please?

      Reply
    10. Catherine Ursini says

      March 31, 2024 at 12:23 am

      I am trying out your recipe for the first time, so I don't have any comments quite yet. I do, however, have a question or two.
      #1) Can I use lemon rind and juice instead of the orange or will it affect the pie?
      #2) Since this is my first time using your recipe, I followed it to the letter. The pie crust seems quite soft and was ripping a bit. Did I do something wrong, or is that the way it is supposed to be?
      I just KNOW that once I'm done tonight (Holy Saturday evening), I will have another question or two for you - at least one or two! I can't wait to taste test this pie - unfortunately, it will HAVE to wait until tomorrow! Oh, I know, do you have a recipe for friselle? I've been using my Grandmother's recipe for many many years, since we also use it for the pie crust for apizzagaine. I am so looking forward to reading and trying out more of your recipes! I am a newly retired Nonna of two boys; and they and their parents LIVE how I'm spending all my new-found spare time - baking! Happy Easter to you and yours, and I look forward to all the new taste testing that we all will be doing! ❤️

      Reply
      • Pina says

        March 31, 2024 at 4:44 am

        Hello Catherine. Yes you can use lemon rind instead of orange rind. If you do use lemon juice, use it very sparingly or it may overpower the pie. You can also leave the lemon juice out.
        If the dough is ripping, try rolling it out again with a bit more flour. That should help!
        Sounds like you are enjoying retirement! That makes me so happy. Enjoy your time baking!
        -Pina

        Reply
    11. Ann says

      March 31, 2024 at 2:26 am

      Hi could I add drained crushed pineapple my mom added it but I don’t have her recipe/ will it ruin the recipe thanks

      Reply
      • Pina says

        March 31, 2024 at 4:23 am

        Hi Ann, I think adding the pineapple would be fine. Let me know how it turns out!

        -Pina

        Reply
    12. Felicia says

      April 01, 2024 at 10:32 pm

      5 stars
      My mom always made this for Easter! She recently passed away.
      I wanted to keep tradition and make it since our family always looked forward to it every Easter.
      I made it for the very first time and it was delicious! First Easter celebrating without my mom and having this brought back special memories! It was just like my mom made it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!

      Reply
      • Pina says

        April 02, 2024 at 9:25 pm

        Thank you so much Felicia!
        I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Saying it's exactly like your mom like it is the biggest compliment to me.
        -Pina

        Reply
    13. Anthony says

      April 19, 2025 at 10:50 am

      Am I getting the lattice pieces from the single dough in the recipe?

      Reply
      • Pina Bresciani says

        April 19, 2025 at 4:22 pm

        Hi Anthony, yes! The lattices will be cut from the extra dough you have left over. Hope this helps!
        -Pina

        Reply

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