91yr old Giannina makes a Ligurian cheesy rice pie! | Pasta Grannies

Discover a savoury rice pie while listening to some of Giannina's life story. This 'torta di riso alla Genovese' is popular in Genova area of Liguria and cooks all have their own tweaks (some add nutmeg for example). Use a 30 centimetre diameter pie tin.
250 ml milk
180g arborio rice
50ml olive oil, salt,
300g in total of fresh cheese, in this case 250g of Prescinsêua and 25g of Campagnolo, 20g of Parmigiano. Try a mix of yoghurt with live cultures with cottage or feta cheese for a soured flavour instead of these local cheeses.
for the dough
300g 00 flour
50ml olive oil
Salt
Warm water, as needed.

[@j.criquette3334]

I confess, I hardly care about the pasta any more. The pasta making is just a backdrop. Their stories are what compel me the most.

[@pauka123]

Pasta grannies taught me everything and now I make pasta that my whole family enjoys - and that are savvy and cheap ! Because if it could feed their families during tough times, it can feed me as a broke student ! It's so smart ! Thanks for this wisdom !!!!!

[@pastagrannies]

Hello Pauline, that's great to hear - I hope the inspiration stays with you long after you have stopped being a broke student ! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@plazazrce]

You are so right! She doesn't spill, doesn't waste, and we can do the same! After a couple of times you know exactly how much you need to feed how many people. You make one cake like this and friends will come to enjoy.

[@sotv2045]

I love how all the Pasta Grannies are about 99 years old and somehow they're still full of life when every recipe is tomatoes and herbs with beef, sausage, eggs, butter, whole milk, cheese, more cheese, wine, more wine.

[@diocanaja]

when you're active you can eat all that and more

[@gens1sumus]

Not exactly , they normally eat very sparsely , they come from a period of few food available during and right after the WW2 and they are used not to eat much and waste nothing . The story of Giannina’s life is remarkable even for us Italian that grew-up listening to stories of sacrifices of our older generations . And there are a few , irrelevant , mistakes on the translation “fare la Donna ad ore “ meaning to make house - cleanings paid per hours of work , not working “some” hours , indeed they worked a lot of hours every day . To all the non Italian : you may get the wrong feeling that eating pasta , egg- pasta , made from scratch is healthy , well I can tell you is much better than eating processed food but remember these grannies have one thing in common , they are all frugal and make these delicious dishes made usually once in a week or less frequently just for love of friends and families , not much for themselves Love and good relation with their neighbors , an active social life and a healthy relationship with food I think are some of the most important keys to a long and beautiful life that I wish for all of you🙏🏻 Best wishes Giuseppe

[@diocanaja]

@@gens1sumus eating all the tasty stuff mentioned above is done in moderation, it's in almost every recipe but in smaller quantities than your average american would use, for example. Eating "sparsely" doesn't mean you don't get to enjoy every single thing you eat and live to eat instead of eating to live

[@tatiecardie5025]

❤❤❤❤

[@andrewstiller1662]

I don't know which I like more, the wonderful recipes or listening to the remarkable stories of these incredible women. Either way, I look forward to each new installment. :)

[@ASoulsHeartbeat]

What a sweetheart. What I’d give to be as beautiful as her at 91. I loved that she moved out of her home to be with her girlfriends. This was a lovely episode. Thank you! Patti

[@davidhynd4435]

For some reason I found it amusing to see this lovely, bright 91 year old carefully tipping water from a Spiderman mug. My own grandma was bright and animated like Giannina well into her nineties. Nice to know that the autumn years don't mean that you have to be miserable. Good on you Giannina. The pie looks delicious.

[@caipi8429]

Torta di riso finita! Solo gli italiani potranno capirla :-) Complimenti alla signora Giannina, splendida realizzazione!

[@massimopalomba5009]

Solo i genovesi! 😉

[@enki6578]

Ho un amico molto caro a Genova. Abito a Ginevra. Un saluto 😉

[@queenmotherhane4374]

I miei nonni materni erano genovesi. Mi piace molto la torta di riso, e la cucino.

[@albatrosone]

These women grew up during the war, worked hard all their life and at 90+ they look young!!! ❤

[@shellbellexx3]

Such a beautiful soul ! She made me tear up with her story. My mother was 15 when she had me. Her story resonated with me. I hope she enjoys her care home with friends and many years to come . My grandmother ,I hope, will live with me when she needs or wants to. One of the perks of being born early on is my own children are now grown and I have the ability and capability to take care of my grandmother. I truly know what a blessed gift that is. Not everyone gets to spend so much time with their grandparents. she also got to see my sons grow up. I don’t recommend having children at 15 but it’s also not the worst thing as far as getting to really know the elders in my family. I love this recipe and can’t wait to make it

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

What I wouldn't give to be in the kitchen with these cultural, culinary treasures! A friend's 94-year-old aunt taught me how to make ricotta one rainy afternoon and it was an experience I'll never forget and treasure always. Gentle teasing, laughter, and fabulous food. I miss her every time I cook Italian. I love this channel!

[@pastagrannies]

hi David, that sounds like a great memory to have. 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@Ardoxsho]

Prescinseua is really easy to make, as long as you have access to raw milk (pasteurized milk won't do, I'm afraid). All you have to do is let it sit on the counter (in a covered bowl) at room temperature for a couple of days until it thickens, then strain (if you're planning to use it in a vegetable pie). For this kind of pie, no straining is necessary (as you noticed, the store-bought version requires thinning out). The result is very different from ricotta because there's some culturing going on, with more richness and a distinctive, rich, sour-creamy aftertaste. Hope this will encourage people to try out making their own. If you can't find raw milk, I usually recommend mixing Greek yogurt with full-fat ricotta.

[@desireecoad7557]

Giannina's story is fascinating and a little sad as her parents were so young. In the end it worked out but she still seems sad about it. The cheesy rice pie is beautiful, and shows that unlikely ingredients to us are very wonderful ingredients to others. Delicious!!

[@randomsurfer3963]

Long live the grannies, they are the guardians of so many traditions that should never get lost. I struggle to believe she is 91, I would have guessed early 80s..good diet I imagine

[@dpcaw]

Watching Pasta Grannies always puts a smile on my face:)

[@katielouieschwartz]

This was one of my favorite episodes. Her story is incredible.

[@freudvibes10]

She warmed my heart with her voice,her story and her pie. ❤

[@pliny8308]

OMG, I'm in tears! I have the same pan; it was my mothers. I make torta di riso all the time, but only sweet. Delicious. :)

[@schmuhf]

I love Giannina telling her story while she's busy with the dough. I'll need to try recreating that recipe, looks delicious!

[@beth12svist]

Funnily, this reminded me of kirjalapiirakat, rice pasties from the other end of Europe, Finland! :-) They don't put cheese in them, though, and the dough uses rye flour, and of course they don't use olive oil, so I bet the end result is actually quite different. Still, it's fun to see the similarities in two such diametrically different European cultures! It also reminded me of a children's book of Italian extraction that mentioned rice cakes/pies, which fascinated me as a child because that's a foreign concept in Czechia. The picture had a mold a lot like that! Though I think in copper. Amazing to see it now so many years later "in reality".

[@joeg2964]

I love this lady. She reminds me of my Italian aunts. God bless her. Xx

[@ransomcoates546]

Her granddaughter has done well. Bellissima cucina!

[@nicolett195]

Giannina is so beautiful, adorable and peaceful. I love this episode from her granddaughter's fabulous kitchen. Her life story is so interesting. The pie looks amazing!

[@giovannisantostasi9615]

Ligurian cuisine is one of my favorites in Italy. They have so unique recipes and wonderful dishes. My family is from the south but I was born in Genova, the capital of Liguria and so I was exposed both to Ligurian foods and the southern ones, the best of both worlds.

[@mhermarckarakouzian8899]

Similar to our Armenian beoreg. Basically a cheese pie, but with rice. I need to try this one

[@souadghazal2533]

or the Turkish/Armenian Su Boereg .....extremely yummy.......if made the right way ......

[@Mooonlightist]

C'est vendredi, c'est Pasta Grannies 🍽😋🇲🇫

[@artycrafty9209]

What a wonderful woman Giannina is, she could write the most amazing book of her life. How rich we are to have a glimpse into her world. Thank you Giannina, thank you pasta grannies, cannot imagine a Sunday without you all. Ramon.

[@orsolaventura1924]

Brava come semprel la Liguria con ingredienti semplici fa dei capolavori. Viva l'Italia

[@enki6578]

😉😍

[@grouchosaidit5454]

It's so great that you allow these grannies to demonstrate their talent. It's heartwarming.

[@miele7217]

Bellissima donna, 91 anni e lucidità da far invidia a tanti giovani impasticcati!! Grazie signora Giannina per tanta dolcezza e saggezza😘

[@massimopalomba5009]

Con la vita non facile che ha avuto, poi....

[@TexasAlabama]

What a precious soul! This is what I would pay for if I were ever lucky enough to visit Italy, spending time with real people :-)

[@ceceliasamet116]

What a lovely lady. I felt as though I was a guest in her kitchen. It looks delicious.

[@sandymorgan6637]

Love hearing her life stories and love the recipes and food!

[@lntersteIIa5555]

bravissima nonna Giannina,un abbraccio

[@giovannisantostasi9615]

Ligurian food is famous for its savory pies. One of the good things of this channel is that the different regional foods from Italy are illustrated in these dishes.

[@queenmotherhane4374]

I grew up on this! My maternal great-grandparents were from Genoa, in Liguria. My mom wrote down the recipe for me, and I make it often. Grandma’s recipe and technique were slightly different from Giannina’s, but essentially the same dish.

[@spicematthews8034]

That piece of Parmesan would probably make a massive dent in a weeks wages in New Zealand. Amazing hearing such a heartfelt story while she's making such a lovely recipe. Thanks.

[@pastagrannies]

I hope New Zealand has local cheese producers making something similar? 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@marilyn1228]

You have a great job and life meeting and eating with these lovely people. This dish looks so good, my mum's best dishes were simple peasant style dishes that were so delicious and memorable. I can't wait to get the second Pasta Grannies cookbook.

[@pastagrannies]

hi Marilyn, yes I think I have the best job in the world! And thank you for planning to buy book 2. 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@debboyea9567]

What a beautiful young looking 91 year old! And so very nice!

[@LexLuthor1234]

Giannina seems both sweet and warm, and in very good shape for her age! - another good Pasta Grannies video 🙂

[@steffenbeier9571]

Brilliant to have these grannies and their recipes immortalised in this way. Better than any cookbook because even though I don’t speak Italian I love to hear their voices.

[@luciemedici]

We love Giannina 💕💕

[@UsernameUnkwn21]

91 years old!!! God Bless.. Viewers while u r watching support this channel and give a 👍

[@alexandra-nd6kc]

10:05 this clip alone always makes my day 💓 love you, Giannina. love you, Pasta Grannies!

[@debbieparenti3998]

It is so enjoyable watching these lovely women share their cooking skills.

[@NicolettaGarassino]

E brava scia Gianina! I'm from Genoa and i love to listen to speak like Giannina Torta di riso, i like it!

[@talyua1399]

Very interesting recipe. It reminded me of the cake my grandma (not Italian 🙂) used to make. She made the cheese cake with sour milk cheese mixed with melted butter, eggs and thin soup nuddles. You could do it savory or sweet. It was also fluffy and very tasty.

[@astro7172]

Can you share the recipe

[@nebbindog6126]

That sounds like kugel.

[@talyua1399]

@@astro7172 everything was done by eye)). The dough was same as this one in the recipe of Giannina but with vegetable oil. It was divided into 3-4 pieces, also rolled very thin and each layer was sprinkled with oil. It looked and tasted like puff pastry after baking. The stuffing: - 400-450 g of squeezed sour milk cheese of any fat content - 3 eggs - A handful of thin soup noodles or broken spaghetti in small pieces (not cooked) - 2 tablespoons of sugar - 0.5 tsp salt or to taste - 50 - 75 g of butter (depending on the fat content of the cheese) - 2 tablespoons of sour cream - For a sweet cake: vanilla or vanilla flavor - Sour cream whipped with powdered sugar to serve - optional - For savory pie: lemon zest, fresh aromatic herbs (parsley, thyme, mint) 1. Beat eggs with a fork with salt, sugar and vanilla. Cheese must be smashed with the fork or with the blend mixer to become homogeneous. 2. Add cheese, melted butter and mix well, add the noodles to the mixture. 3. Put the cheesy mixture in a form on the dough. Pinch /twist the edges of the dough. 4. Grease the cheese filling with sour cream and bake the cake for 40 minutes at 180 ºC. 5. Serve warm.

[@nancylarrea9396]

My family came from Calabria region, watching these videos brings back memories of our visits, and all the delicious homemade delicacies. Wish I can turn back the hands of time❤

[@violetapam3308]

Μπράβο μπράβο είσαι υπέροχη συγκλονιστική λατρεμένη παρέα 🤗🤗🤗💯💯💯💥💥💥

[@limop20]

my highlight are their life stories. Thank you for preserving them.

[@rosabosco9258]

Complimenti signora Giannina per aver realizzato una torta di riso buonissima! Grazie mille! 👌

[@rosalatalpa]

Lovely to hear more of the grannies' life stories, a cookery lesson with social history mixed it, a really valuable resource!

[@kellee1609]

Beautiful episode - would love to try! Dough looks perfect. Love her stories of her younger days. Must have been difficult for her parents at that time.

[@oxroxox]

We must protect all of these grannies 🖤

[@bg147]

Interesting. That looked tasty. My grandma.... actually, 3 of my 4 grandparents were from Bagin di Lucca, and she made torta di riso along with la crema. SO good.

[@pastagrannies]

Yes you are right - several regions (Tuscany, Emilia etc) have their own versions of torta di riso 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@Ricardohoineff]

That was emotional... And the receipt looks so Tasty... Need to try that! Thank youuuuuu!

[@Romafood]

Bravissima Giannina!

[@andrealordelo2926]

What a sad story. These things were even so more common back then. She had made me laugh so hard in the beginning when you said she moved out to stay with her girlfriends.😂❤️

[@caseydia4774]

Such a wonderful channel, amazing grannies. Thank you so much for sharing their stories and recipes. ❤️🧡💛

[@VerhoevenSimon]

Always a treat after a long week, and I love the accompanying stories.

[@pastagrannies]

hi Simon Glad you enjoy the channel 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@sabrinagia9998]

Questa voglio provarla… non l’ho mai assaggiata, pur arrivando dal vicino Piemonte!

[@gborsonello]

There is NO PLACE in the world like Liguria ❤

[@enki6578]

Le cinque terre...😍

[@dolcevitausa6448]

I would love to see more recipes from Giannina...

[@hunkhk]

lovely, I could listen. to her share her stories all day. Im wondering if the new book will also provide some background story on the grannies too? They are all amazing. I love this channel so much

[@pastagrannies]

hi Greg, yes there are background stories for most of the grandmothers in the next book. 🌺🙂 best wishes, Vicky

[@franziska6420]

dolcissima e bravissima

[@souadghazal2533]

It's been much more interesting and fun ever since the Nonnas' were given the chance to talk and tell whatever they wanted to share with us .... one can learn a lot about the dishes they make also their life stories. As for that tray from 1952 .... all it needs is some soft steel wool and a bar of white soap and lots of elbow grease to scrub and rinse it clean.... it will live forever.... Great video and lovely Giannina.

[@pastagrannies]

hi Souad, yes it's lovely when our signore want to share their life stories; as you suggest, they don't always want to do this, and of course this needs respecting. And I love Ligurian pie tins! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@NathalieNoZen]

Oooh, I'll definitely will try to make those 😋

[@yummyeveryday]

なんて美味しそうなんだろ‼️🤤✨

[@Dreamtime-Walker]

Brilliant Idea!💎/Tradition

[@racheljacob8600]

love her stories and the receipe

[@corra7]

What a gift to all of us! Thank-you …grazie

[@falt.a738]

I'm from Italy......and Is not important were you from ....all of Is welcome in Italy.... We are peasent ......and all peaple are welcome...... So we can explaine why Italy Is the ventre of the world..... No problem People......from East ti ovest ......everyone Is welcome....

[@alextilton2677]

On the Friday home stretch with Nonna Giannina

[@Serendipity1977]

Che cosa fantastica! E lei è troppo carina ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@federicopietra1401]

Clerici is the tv show host...not its name 😄

[@billcornwall5696]

What a beautiful ring she’s wearing!! I’d love to try her torta!!

[@sans2domicilefixroberts428]

👍 Great 💞 😊👏 👏

[@bettyboohadapoo]

What an amazing woman your are Giannina, thank you so much for this recipe, I will try to make it tomorrow, warm love x

[@jonesbub1]

Another sweet Granny…with a very unique recipe. It looks delicious! TFS, Sharon😊

[@nealieanderson512]

What a wonderful dish and lady!!

[@sih1095]

Love this. Something else new. 👍

[@RuralSpanishRetirement]

Ooh this looks delicious.. I shall have to substitute the creamy cheese but it all looks very do-able. I love all the pasta grannies and I haven't bought dried pasta since I subscribed to your channel (couple of years now) 👍😁

[@pastagrannies]

hi Jane, thick whole milk yoghurt (preferably with live cultures) can also be added to the cream cheese to approximate the flavour. 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@CarolePrettyful]

Adorable and the pie looks good too!

[@Getpojke]

Oh that looks good, was thinking as she made it that it was like a proto quiche. Is it usually eaten cold? Giannina seems to have had a varied life, but sounds like she's done well on it. Another great recipe, thank you.

[@Ardoxsho]

Definitely not eaten piping hot. It's actually incredibly delicious when still warm, as the texture will firm up considerably (making it a little chewy) as it cools down. When it's freshly made, you can make out all of the different textures: the crispy top, the soft filling, the flaky crust. But it's definitely a popular picnic item, and a platter of vegetable pies and rice pie is a very popular street food choice (also served as appetizer in restaurants).

[@Getpojke]

@@Ardoxsho Thank you for that. Haven't gotten around to making it yet, but its on the list of things to try soon.

[@Endovelicus91]

Give this granny extra points for the spiderman cup!

[@nycdweller]

I need this!

[@streamandolive]

Ahhhhh que fofinha 🥰

[@floriehazel4712]

I must try this yummy recipe 💖💖💖💖

[@alanholck7995]

That looks awesome. And I covet that kitchen art that says 'Crusine'

[@kerryh3918]

Wonderful 🥰🥰

[@aina8318]

Can`t wait to buy your second book!

[@pastagrannies]

thank you! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@stevelogan5475]

Ms. Vicky, Gianngina is a dear soul & what a very tough upbringing she had & in Appalachia we would call a rough raising, she is a very strong woman to have made it through that but I'm sure with the help of our Heavenly Father God, I'm sorry but we do not have a recipe like that here, rice is rarely used here as it is not grown & most folks grow & eat what can be canned in Mason jars when out of season. I can say it is not unusual for folks here in Appalachia to wed young, I was 19 & my wife was 18 when we married( yrs ago (15-16 yrs old was not that rare to be wed) & had the 1st of our 5 children when I was 22, 3 sons & 2 daughters, we now have 6 grand children, 3 boys & 3 girls so far, I expect more, lol, but they are young enough still to have more children & plan on doing so, God Bless you all & please stay safe

[@pastagrannies]

hi Steve, it sounds like you have a large and growing clan! A few weeks ago in Sardinia we sat down to lunch with a (great) grandmother whose family members total 66! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@stevelogan5475]

@@pastagrannies 👍👍👍, my Father's family had 15 siblings, some passed early age, 11 made adult hood, my Dad has an identical twin brother & there are 2 sets of fraternal girl twins, God Bless you all

[@rabbipink]

Brilliant.

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

I think I would want to put diced dried apricots and or raisins in it.

[@PaulMcGuinness]

The Grannnies always look worried when you describe the taste as you're not smiling (yet) - perhaps tell them it's "Buona" before talking to camera 😂

[@pastagrannies]

hi Paul, yeah I gotta work on not frowning because I'm thinking (also trying not to talk with my mouth full). The trouble with a second take is our signore will have already moved on to serving other people, there's no stopping them 😅 best wishes, Vicky

[@campari4467]

Delicious, making this tomorrow 😋

[@pastagrannies]

I hope it turned out well 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@ThePricipleOfParsimony]

This lady looks 75 not 91! Wow is she ever svelte (quick and handy) with that dough!

[@randomsurfer3963]

At 6:08 she is actually saying that they used to take it to bake to the bakers as they had no oven at home , not that there were no baking shops...might make more sense to the eagled eyed viewers :)

[@aris1956]

Yes, as an Italian I can confirm. The translation there is incorrect. Sometimes it also happens in other videos that the English translation does not correspond exactly to what the grandmothers say.

[@pastagrannies]

thank you, thank you. I knew it wasn't quite the right translation but couldn't figure it out. I sometimes wish I could crowdsource the translations! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@pastagrannies]

Thank you; I (we) try very hard, not always 100% successfully. Alas I cannot change the subtitles as they are printed on the video. best wishes, Vicky

[@randomsurfer3963]

@@pastagrannies You are doing an amazing job, no worries and it can be difficult to understand even for a native speaker at times...so many different accents. Thanks for the amazing videos you always provide us with, informative, endearing and entertaining...

[@pastagrannies]

ahh, you are kind! Subtitles are the thing we spend most time on, we often send clips back to the families for them to translate when we don't understand (obv not this clip, mannaggia 🙄) But thank you for seeing the bigger picture and enjoying the videos and our signore! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@emildrimbea3210]

awsome

[@LUNALA1543]

☺️ njaamm!!!

[@kristianhanford3113]

Pasta nonna il molto il mondo

[@rabbipink]

Кланяюсь в ноги создателям канала. Бесценные видео.

[@pastagrannies]

Thank you (благодарю вас) Martin 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky