Cheesy Italian Ricotta Beef Pie Food

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and honey and mix well. Place in a 9 inch springform pan and spread evenly across the bottom. Refrigerate 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a large electric mixer bowl, combine ricotta and eggs (beat in one at a time until incorporated). Add tablespoon of honey, vanilla and flour. Beat until smooth. Fold in lemon peel and almonds. Pour mixture into chilled crust and scatter pumpkin seeds on top.
• Bake for 1 hour or until just firm and lightly colored on top. Turn oven off, open door and leave pie inside to cool for 30 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven, refrigerate and chill for 2 hours to overnight before serving.

ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring 2 or more quarts of water to boil on stove. In the bottom rack of the preheated oven, place a baking dish such as a 9×13-inch baking dish and fill with the hot, boiled water. Place another oven rack directly over that to next rack position.
• In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and sugar. Stir to combine.
• In a smaller bowl combine egg yolks, milk, olive oil, and both extracts.
• Make a hole in the center of the flour and pour in liquid. With a wooden spoon, mix to combine. (If the mixture gets too difficult to combine with a wooden spoon, used your hands to finish mixing).
• Flour your countertop well and place the dough ball in the center, pressing to form a round disc. Keep flouring, pressing and flipping. Flour a rolling pin and gently roll to a circle an inch or two larger than a deep dish 9-inch pie plate.
• Either fold the dough in half and place over half the pie plate, flipping other half over or roll the dough onto your rolling pin than back over the pie plate. Again, the dough is soft and delicate so be gentle.
• Use your fingers to form and press the dough into the confines of the pie dish, crimping the top edge all the way around (as you would any other pie) by pinching with thumb and index finger. Set aside, the shell is not pre-baked.
• Make the filling by placing the ricotta in a large bowl and mixing in sugar until combined.
• Add whole eggs, egg whites and vanilla and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. If lumpy, use a wire whisk to smooth out.
• Pour directly into unbaked crust. Cover the crust edge with foil or pie crust shield so the edges don't get too browned as the pie bakes.
• Place pie in the center of oven on the rack over the water bath and bake for one hour and ten minutes. Turn off oven but leave the pie in the oven for ten more minutes. (Don't open the oven door during any of the time that the pie is in the oven.)
• Carefully remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. (Cool completely before refrigerating - if you put the pie in the refrigerator while still warm, it will weep slightly and collect moisture on top.) Chill overnight uncovered.
• Once chilled, cut and serve.

RICOTTA-STUFFED RIGATONI PIE WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the meat sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into smaller pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens to a brick red, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a high simmer, then adjust to a low simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes. (You can make and cool the sauce the day before. Reheat before using the next day.)
• For the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Cook the pasta until slightly less than al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and toss with the remaining tablespoon oil, then spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Spread 1/4 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Stand the rigatoni on their ends in the pan until it is completely filled.
• For the ricotta filling: Stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag, snip off just enough of the tip to make a small opening and pipe into each rigatoni tube. Pipe small mounds of any leftover ricotta mixture on top of the pasta and spread out into a thin layer. (You can cook and fill the pasta the day before.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the filled springform pan on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch drips. Pour 2 cups of the meat sauce over the pasta, spreading it with the back of a spoon so that it drips in between the noodles. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cover the pan with foil, doming it slightly to avoid touching the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue cooking until the top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes more. Let the pasta cool for 45 minutes (do not skip this part or your noodles will fall apart when serving!). Sprinkle with parsley, if using, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with the reserved meat sauce on the side.

CHEESY ITALIAN RICOTTA & BEEF PIE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375.
• 2. In a large skillet, add ground beef, chopped onion and 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped. Brown ground beef on medium heat. Drain grease. Return browned ground beef to large skillet.
• 3. Add jar of spaghetti sauce, stir well.
• 4. Simmer on low for 2-3 minutes.
• 5. Grease a 13x9 pan, add ground beef and spaghetti sauce mixture to bottom of pan. Spread evenly.
• 6. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmesan. Mix well.
• 7. Spread evenly on top of ground beef mixture.
• 8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
• 9. Align evenly 1.5 - 2 cans of crescent rolls (depending on your preference) on top of cheese mixture. Crescent triangles will rise evenly to create a crust on top while baking.
• 10. In a small saucepan, melt butter and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
• 11. Brush butter and garlic mixture on top of crescent rolls.
• 12. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
• 13. Bake uncovered in oven for 35 minutes at 375 degrees, until crust is golden brown.
• 14. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool. Serve and enjoy!

EASTER MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place ricotta in a large mixing bowl and add eggs one at a time while mixing on low speed. Stir in mozzarella, ham, salami, and prosciutto until all ingredients are well combined. Line two 9 inch pans with pastry. Spoon half of mixture into each pan. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over each pie, then cover with top pastry. Crimp edges and cut steam vents in tops.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until crust is golden brown. Cool on racks.

BEEFY CHEESY SPAGHETTI PIE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and season with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Transfer to a bowl and reserve skillet.
• 2. Add the cooked spaghetti to the beef mixture and toss well. Beat the eggs and add to the pasta along with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Toss well to combine.
• 3. Wipe out the skillet and heat the 1 tablespoon remaining oil over high heat. Add the spaghetti mixture and lightly press down. Cook until the bottom sets, about 5 minutes.
• 4. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until set in the center and crispy around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes. Scatter with torn basil leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.

CHEESY SPAGHETTI PIE WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with olive oil.
• Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the spaghetti and shake the colander to remove the excess water. Put the spaghetti in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the beaten eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan, then toss.
• While the spaghetti cooks, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, 1 more minute. Crumble in the beef, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes, then clear a spot in the center of the skillet and add the tomato paste. Let it toast for 30 seconds, then stir into the beef mixture. Add the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then bring to a simmer and cook until very thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with more salt to taste.
• To assemble the pie, transfer the spaghetti mixture to the pie plate and press to form a crust with a flat bottom and slightly higher sides. Spread the ricotta in the spaghetti crust, leaving a border around the edges. Spoon the meat sauce on top, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until the bottom and sides of the pie are golden and the cheese is browned, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes before slicing.

CHEDDAR CHEESY MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, drain fat off well.
• Stir flour, salt and pepper over browned beef.
• Spread mixture in pie shell.
• Spread cheeses over this.
• Whisk milk, eggs and worcestershire sauce together and carefully pour over ground beef and cheddar.
• Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.