What is the correct Italian name for Easter Ricotta Pie?

Question

My husband's Italian grandmother made the sweet ricotta cheese pie with white raisins every Easter and his family has corrupted the name over time. She came from the Molise region and always called the pie something that sounded like "kah-zha-dill." Does anyone out there know what the real name is that she was referring to?

Answer 1

Easter Pie has many different names and even more recipes, depending on the section of Italy in question.

In Naples it is known as "pastiera," and is made with ricotta cheese and whole grains of wheat to symbolize rebirth. It is also known as "pizza piena," (stuffed pie), and in Italian-American dialect, "pizza gain." "Pizza Rustica" is still another term and refers to the savory and rustic aspects of the pie. Italian meat pie is called a "pizzachino" which means pie of meat or meat pie in Italian.

Answer 2

Hi Nancy. The correct name for that dish is: Chochotte.

Answer 3

In the south is known as "pastiera di grano"

Answer 4

Casatielli

Answer 5

Well the name for Easter is Pasqua... ricotta is a cheese which is formaggio, and pie is torta, I think it could be cake.

Kah-zha-dill...hmmm makes me wonder if they are saying something like casa-di.. casa means house or home. di is like "of"

My guess with only knowing it is an Easter time thing would be torta di Pasqua "Easter pie"

Answer 6

Are you sure they were white raisins? They may have been raw wheat. There's a cake called pizza grana (grain pie). Another possibility is pastiera napolitana.

I've visited Molise and eaten at the table of people whose families are from Molise and I've had ricotta pie. It's also possible that casadill' is the real name for that dessert. Molise is a mountainous and remote area with a regional dialect of its own.