Pizza Rustica Recipe: Savory Easter Pie

Today, I would like to share this easy Italian Pizza Rustica Recipe aka Savory Easter Pie Recipe with all of you. This rustic Italian Easter pie can also be referred to as Pizza Piena, Pizza Repiena, Pizzachino, Pizzagiena, Pizza Ghen, Torta Pasqualina… I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Don’t you just love regional Italian cuisine?

There are so many wonderful Italian Easter food traditions.

My family loves my mom’s rice ricotta Easter pie and this wonderful recipe for ricotta pie.

Another family favorite is fiadone, a savory Easter pie recipe.

Although there are so many names for it, nobody seems to mind what we call it because it’s so delicious.

But what exactly is it?

Well, I can tell you that despite its name, it’s not a pizza as defined in North America.

This pizza Rustica is made with a variety of cheeses, cured meats, eggs and sometimes greens, all enveloped in a dough that resembles a pie crust. Since this is a very regional dish, every family has their version.

You may have probably guessed that there are two parts to this recipe:

The dough for Pizza Rustica

In this simple pie crust recipe, I have used the technique of grating frozen butter into the dry mixture and incorporating it with my fingertips. I find this method so much easier than using a pastry cutter or even the two knives method to achieve a mixture that resembles coarse crumbs. If you recall, this is the technique I used to make these wonderful buttermilk biscuits. Works like a charm, every single time.

Once I have added the liquids, the dough comes together in no time. I will then separate and shape the dough into two discs (one slightly larger than the other); wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate while I combine the ingredients for the filling.

The filling for Pizza Rustica

The filling is very straightforward to prepare. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the variety of cheeses, beaten eggs, and cured meats (you can omit this for a vegetarian version).

To assemble the pie, roll out the slightly larger piece of dough for it to fit the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

Fill the pie with the cheese mixture.

Roll out the other piece of dough and place it on top of the filling.

Pinch the bottom and top pieces of dough together to properly enclose the filling.

I like to use my scissors to snip a pattern in the dough.

Brushing the top with a lightly beaten egg yolk ensures a golden color.

After it has baked, you can see that it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is easily removed. Just make sure your bottom and top crust are properly sealed otherwise the dough will split open.

Time to enjoy your pie!

Italian Easter recipes

• Savory Easter Cheese Pie
• Italian Easter Sweet Bread
• Crescia
• Italian Easter Egg Taralli
• Sweet Ricotta Easter Pie

Recipe inspiration

There is no one version of making the filling (or even the dough) for this recipe.

As was mentioned, this is a very regional dish and as such, there are so many variations. You would probably not be surprised to learn that I prefer a simple version when making this pie.

As you can probably guess, this is another example of the food of my childhood. Unfortunately, I found it too salty, unappetizing and unappealing… not a kid-friendly food, at least not in my eyes.

Thank goodness taste buds change as you get older.

My husband, who was born and raised in the city of Muro Lucano (in the province of Potenza) informs me that this pizza rustica would often be made to celebrate la Pasquetta, which is the day after Easter.

Tradition would have it that there would be a big family get-together on Easter Monday, usually an extended family picnic in the country. 

In North America, this pie is often served as an appetizer. I adapted this recipe to resemble my husband’s and his sister’s memory of his mom’s pizza rustica. 

Food and tradition go hand in hand, especially during any holiday period.

This Easy Italian Pizza Rustica aka Savory Easter Pie Recipe is the perfect appetizer to enjoy with family and friends during Easter weekend.

Buona Pasquetta a tutti! 

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

If you haven’t already joined, here is the link where you can sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes and it’s absolutely free! 

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this traditional Italian Easter recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

Easy Italian Pizza Rustica aka Savory Easter Pie Recipe

This Easy Italian Pizza Rustica aka Savory Easter Pie Recipe is the perfect appetizer to enjoy with family and friends during Easter weekend.

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 servings

Calories: 183kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

For the dough:

• 270 grams all-purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons butter frozen
• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoons water ice cold

For the filling:

• 300 grams ricotta well drained
• 150 grams ricotta salata crumbled
• 25 grams Pecorino Romano Cheese grated
• 25 grams Parmigiano Reggiano grated
• 3 eggs slightly beaten
• 50 grams dry cured Italian sausage finely diced
• ¼ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley finely chopped
• pepper to taste

For the glaze

• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

For the dough:

• In a large bowl, sift together the flour and the salt.
• Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter over dry ingredients.
• Toss together with fingertips in order to incorporate the butter.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the ice-cold water.
• Add to the dry ingredients and combine.
• On a floured wooden board, knead lightly for one minute.
• Separate and flatten into 2 discs (one slightly larger than the other).
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. In the meanwhile prepare the cheese filling.

For the filling:

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the filling.
• Set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the pie:

• Preheat the oven at 350°F (175° C).
• On a lightly floured wooden board, roll out the slightly larger piece of dough in order for it to fit the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Make sure there is some overhang.
• Add the cheese filling and smooth out the top
• Moisten the edge of the dough with a little bit of water.
• Roll out the other piece of dough and place it on top of the filling.
• Pinch the bottom and top pieces of dough together to make sure the filling is properly enclosed.
• Trim off excess dough.
• Poke holes across the top with a fork. A scissor can also be used to snip at the top crust.
• Brush the top pie crust with a beaten egg yolk.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350° F (175° C) for about 45 minutes.
• Can be served warm, at room temperature or cold.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 80mg | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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