Italian Rice Pie

from the Touch Family Recipes

			       Pastiera
		    (aka Italian Easter Rice Pie)
			      Joe Touch

     ************************************************************
     ***    WARNING - this has not been recently debugged.    ***
     ***   This is as much of a recipe as I have right now.   ***
     *** Use at your own risk, and let me know what to adjust.***
     ************************************************************

At Easter, my family makes a rice pie, that's a kind of a mixture of
cheesecake and rice pudding. This recipe is my mother's, from
my maternal grandmother, Nonni Cianfrani.

Ingredients:

   (for the filling:)

	5 eggs
	1 1/2 cup sugar
	2 teaspoons vanilla
	2 teaspoons rum		(blends with the vanilla for a nice
				taste that doesn't have an overpowering
				flavor - *light* rum works best)
	1 lb. ricotta		(not 'lite' - this is not a lite dish)
	3 cups cooked rice	(just according to directions,
				NOT instant rice, not brown, not
				'chinese', not risotto rice. Plain rice.)
	chopped citron		(chop very finely!)

    (for the crust:)

	2 cups flour		(more as needed)
	1/4 cup oil		(corn, safflower, etc - light tasting)
	2 eggs
	2 teaspoons baking
	  powder
	dash of salt
	2 cups sugar
	1 teaspoon vanilla

	jimmies (sprinkles)	(pastel colors - it's for Easter!!)
	

The crust is combined and rolled just like a pie crust.
Our tradition is to cut it with a wavy-slicer, and make a lattice
on the top, aligned with the pan edges.

The filling is just mixed well.

Line the pan, and toast the lining (just like you'd do for a pie).
Fill, then top with a lattice of crust (don't cover it completely).
Add some sprinkles (I put lots, of course), AFTER it's all assembled.

This makes two 9x9 pans, 3" deep (I THINK!!) - it should be 2-2.5" thick.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour, until crust is golden and liquid has 'set'.
	If watery after 1 hour, turn the heat OFF and leave in the
	oven for up to 30-45 min to set. It's a custard - it has to
	set, but it WILL NOT BE DRY.

Let cool **completely** before slicing.





Last modified Oct. 1, 1998.


Copyright 1998 J. Touch. All rights reserved. 

 This page written and maintained by Joe Touch touch@isi.edu