Italian Ricotta Cherry Pie

There are desserts that become popular because they are beautiful, and then there are desserts that survive because history forced them to. Crostata di ricotta e visciole — the iconic Roman Jewish sour cherry and ricotta tart — is both.

I first tried the famous pie when I visited the Jewish ghetto in Rome in 2021, and quickly learned that the ricotta cherry pie is a traditional Roman pastry available in every kosher restaurant! The texture of the ricotta is a lot firmer than what we get in states, more similar to farmer cheese.

ricotta cherry pies in the window of Boccione

Legend has it that during centuries of papal rule, Roman Jews lived under brutal restrictions, confined to the ghetto and limited in what they could own, sell, and eat. According to the story most commonly attached to this tart, Jews were forbidden by the Pope from openly selling dairy products. Bakers began hiding the sweetened ricotta beneath a layer of dough so the tart appeared to be a simple pie from the outside. What began as necessity became one of the great pastries of Rome.

Boccione’s famous ricotta cherry pie

Today, the most famous version is still associated with the tiny Roman bakery Boccione, the nearly 200-year-old bakery known as the “burnt cakes factory” tucked into the Jewish Ghetto, known for its dark, almost burnt-looking pastries and ricotta pies with blistered tops (because of the old ovens that have a very high temperature) and jam peeking through cracks in the crust. It is rustic, imperfect, deeply Roman, and unforgettable.

I wanted something inspired by that pie but slightly freer and more rustic — somewhere between a traditional crostata and a galette. I started with authentic pasta frolla, the classic Italian sweet pastry dough that is softer and more cookie-like than American pie crust. Then came the ricotta filling, the sour cherry preserves, and eventually the realization that my American ricotta was far too loose for a freeform galette. So the dessert evolved back into what it probably always should have been: a proper Italian ricotta tart.

The result was one of those desserts that tastes old-world in the best way. Buttery crust. Bright cherry jam. Creamy ricotta. Not cheesecake exactly. Not pie exactly. Something more rustic and soulful, and just perfect for Shavuot.

ricotta cherry pie at Casalino in the Jewish Ghetto

Crostata di ricotta e visciole
Ricotta Cherry Pie

Pasta Frolla Dough

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
Zest of ½ orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, for eggwash

Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with small pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Add the egg, egg yolk, orange zest, and vanilla and pulse just until the dough begins forming large clumps. Turn the dough onto the counter and gently press together into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Ricotta Filling

NOTE: for a more authentic ricotta texture, strain 2 cups of ricotta overnight and omit the cornstarch.

1½ cups whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
16oz. sour cherry jam, such as D’arbo

In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut the chill dough in half and roll out into 2 discs. Place one half into a tart pan or pie dish. Chill again for 15 minutes. Fill with the cherry jam and ricotta mixture and top with the second sheet of dough. If you have any scraps of dough, you can decorate the pie with it!

Brush the crust with egg wash and bake for 50–65 minutes until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is mostly set with a slight wobble in the center.

Cool completely before slicing. The ricotta texture is best when served cold.