Creamy, sweet, and fluffy, this Italian-style cheesecake takes 10 minutes to pull together (thank you store-bought crust!). Ricotta pie is a simple, perfect ending to a holiday meal!
Remove the premade pie crust from the fridge and let it sit while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and whisk to combine. Add the ricotta and raisins and blend with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, blending and folding the mixture gently so that the fluffy texture of the ricotta remains. Scrape the filling into the pie shell.
Bake for about 50 minutes until just barely set; the middle will still be a bit jiggly when you gently shake the pan but will firm up as it cools. Cool completely on a wire rack. Once the pie has come to room temperature, chill the pie for at least one hour before serving. You can keep the pie in the fridge for up to 4 days, covered with plastic wrap. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using.
Notes
Fresh ricotta cheese is amazing, a real treat compared to the supermarket options. However, supermarket ricotta is just fine in this pie! But if you find fresh ricotta, which tastes, well, fresher, you will definitely see the difference.
If your fresh ricotta seems very loose, put it in a mesh strainer suspended over a bowl and leave it in the fridge overnight. Discard any liquid that collects in the bottom of the bowl and use the ricotta, which should be a bit firmer. I have tried it with both packaged and fresh ricotta cheese.
Ricotta pie should be completely cooled before refrigerating and well covered with plastic wrap. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pie can be left at room temperature for up to a day, but after that, it should be refrigerated.