Like most, our family puts out a spread for Easter Sunday. In addition to the usual suspects, like ham, potato salad, and deviled eggs, I love to serve Easter Pie, or Pizza Rustica.
This dish comes from Naples, Italy, with a history that dates back to the 17th century. It’s famously rich, a gustatory celebration after 40 days of Lenten fasting.
The pie features eggs and grains, which represent new life and harvest. The traditional pie is made with a pastry crust. The filling consists of layers that alternate between cured meats, such as prosciutto, mortadella, capocollo, soppressata, and sausage, and Italian cheeses such as ricotta, provolone, Parmigiano, and Pecorino.
Pizza Rustica recipes incorporate all the meats, cut into small cubes, into a rich quiche-like filling. Some regional versions also have cooked greens or sliced eggs. When immigrants from southern Italy came to the United States, their pies included what they could find, such as ham and pepperoni.
Whatever you call it and however you stuff it, this traditional pie is a delicious addition to your Easter table. It also goes very far, so leftovers are expected and particularly enjoyable for breakfast.
Buon Appetito & Buona Pasqua!
Easter Pie or Pizza Rustica
8
servings20
minutes1
hourIngredients
2 2 pie crusts (pre-made is fine)
9 9 eggs (1 will be for the top of the pie crust)
1 cup 1 whole milk ricotta
1 cup 1 cubed salami
1 cup 1 cubed ham
1 cup 1 cubed provolone
2/3 cup 2/3 grated Pecorino
1 tsp 1 black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix 8 eggs and ricotta together until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Place pie crust in bottom of buttered or greased 9-10 inch pie dish.
- Add filling.
- Place the other pie crust over the mixture, pressing and sealing the edges, and trimming off edges.
- Brush top of pie crust with a beaten egg.
- Make a small incision in the crust to let steam out.
- Bake for one hour and let cool, place in the refrigerator.
- It slices best when cold, and it's also eaten cold.
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