This ricotta cheese pie is the basic recipe that can be adapted to whatever ingredients you fancy. Ricotta cheese teams us marvellously with many cold cuts, such as cooked ham, salami, bacon or mortadella, but it is also possible to add spinach, radicchio or mushrooms. There is an ideal savoury pie for every occasion. For a TV supper, the simplest pie is filled with ricotta cheese and bacon.  

A pie is the perfect emergency food. A savoury pie is quick and easy to make: it takes no more than 40 minutes in all to prepare and bake. Obviously this is possible thanks to the use of ready-made puff pastry, a convenient item to store in the fridge for any unexpected occasion. 

The Recipe:

First of all pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Then turn the ricotta into a fine sieve to  completely eliminate any excess liquid. In this way, the puff pastry will not absorb moisture and the pie base is sure to be nice and crisp.  

When you are satisfied that the ricotta is dry enough, turn it into a bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly, before adding the egg and parmesan cheese, continuing to blend well until the mixture is smooth and even. Add the diced bacon and give the mixture another good stir. You may prefer to use cooked ham, cut up into small pieces, for this recipe or, alternatively, mortadella or salami. 

Now place the sheet of pastry on the worktop and distribute the ricotta mixture in the centre, spreading it in such a way as to leave no more than a few centimetres’ margin around the edge. If you wish, you may decorate with a few basil leaves. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling like a parcel to cover the pie ingredients completely. Brush the outer surface with a little milk mixed with a small amount of parmesan and salt. Then bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the pie surface is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve after a few minutes, allowing the filling to cool slightly. 

What to drink with a ricotta filled savoury pie 
A ricotta cheese pie, no matter what the occasion, will pair up marvellously with a red “Abbey beer” which, with its rich flavour and bitter finale, is a perfect match for this sweet flavoured recipe.