Pizza Rustica Recipe (Easter Pie)

Overhead view of a white plate with slices of Italian Easter pie, surrounded by sliced salami, fresh spinach and shredded cheese on a marble surface.

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Pizza Rustica Recipe (Easter Pie)

This savory Italian Easter Pie combines a buttery pie crust filled with a cheesy filling of Italian meats and eggs – a traditional recipe with an impressive presentation that's not difficult to make.

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 2 20

Servings: 10

Calories: 727kcal

Author: Nicole Gaffney

Ingredients

For the Crust

3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
3 eggs + 1 set aside for an egg wash
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

10 ounces fresh spinach 1 (10 ounce) package
8 eggs beaten
5 ounces salami cut into ½ inch cubes
5 ounces sopressata cut into ½ inch cubes
5 ounces prosciutto cotto or good quality ham cut into ½ inch cubes
2 cups mozzarella cheese (8 ounces), diced into small cubes
15 ounces ricotta cheese 1 (15 ounce) container
1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Instructions

For the Crust

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Sprinkle in the cubes of butter and knead with your hands and fingers until pea sized pieces form.
Add the eggs and combine, then 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until the dough comes together. Shape into a ball.
Cut ⅓ of the dough from the ball, flatten both pieces into discs, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

For the Filling

In a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt, add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl, and run under cold water.
Squeeze out all of the water and place into a large mixing bowl.
To the same mixing bowl, add the eggs, salami, sopressata, prosciutto cotto (or ham), mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees. Spray your 9” spring form pan with cooking spray and set aside.
While the oven is preheating, roll out the larger piece of dough on a flat surface that is approximately 14-16” round and about ⅛” thick.
Next, roll out the smaller piece of dough to roughly 10-12” wide and ⅛” thick.
Transfer the larger piece of dough into the spring form pan, making sure the dough goes up the sides of the pan and hangs over the edges.
Pour the filling into the crust, then place the smaller crust on top, folding the bottom crust over the top crust, crimping the edges together and cutting off any excess dough with a knife or scissors. Make sure to cut slits on the top of the crust to allow steam to escape.
Make an egg wash by combining 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the crust with the egg wash.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F degrees (it will continue to rise in temp).
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack before removing the spring form pan. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

When you are making the dough, make sure to add one tablespoon of ice water, then combine, before adding another one if necessary. It can take a little while for the dough to absorb the water so if you add too much when you think it’s dry, it will become too wet! If this ends up happening, just add a tablespoon of flour to balance out the dough.
It’s really important to fold the bottom crust over the top crust and pinch together so it forms a complete seal. If you don’t do this, your pie crust will have a possible separation and the eggs could leak out.
When you slit the pie on top for ventilation, make sure the cut goes all the way through the dough and wiggle the knife a bit as you do this to open more than normal. As it bakes, the dough will expand and close the hole which prevents steam from escaping.
The edges of your pie crust might start browning faster than the middle. If this is the case, you can either place an adjustable pie crust shield around the edges or create a shield using aluminum foil.
Don’t forget to let the pie cool slightly before removing it from the springform pan. As it cools, it will firm up and you will have an easier time cutting it. If you cut it when it’s still very hot, the crust and the insides could crumble all over.
Letting the dough rest is very important for moisture absorption. If you don’t allow the dough to rest, it could be too crumbly and might not hold up to rolling it out.

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