Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie Recipe) is a savory pie typically served the day after Easter, or Pasquetta as it is called in Italy. My version is filled with sausage, prosciutto cotto, swiss chard, cheese and eggs to create a satisfying, pizza rustica that is perfect for brunch or to take along on a picnic!
Pizza rustica is known by a variety of names including Easter pie, or in Italian as torta salata; pizza ripena, pizza gaina; or pizza chiena to name a few.
This recipe is basically a stuffed pizza or pie made with a flaky buttery crust and can be single or double crusted. The filling consisting of eggs; a variety of cheeses and usually cured meats. Personally it reminds me of a quiche, Italian style!
However you call it, the result is this delicious creamy, cheesy, salty filling all beautifully balanced, tucked inside a flaky pie crust. Filling and so satisfying!
I’ve long admired images of pizza rustica loaded with savory goodies. And so I was inspired to create my own version with ingredients I enjoy such as sausage and a variety of cheeses including provolone, mozzarella and grated combination of Parmigiano and Pecorino cheeses. I added a bit of sautéd swiss chard (bietola) just to add a touch of green to my pizza rustica.
Possible variations of easter pizza rustica:
You can personalize your pizza rustica with ingredients that you enjoy or have on hand. The foundation is a combination of ricotta, eggs and cheeses and the rest is up to you!
- Replace the sausage with cubed cured meats of your choice including salami; prosciutto; capicollo; mortadella or others.
- Vary the cheeses: use whatever cheeses you have in your fridge including fontina; friulano or scamorza.
- Omit the swiss chard or replace with other greens such as spinach, escarole or even rapini.
Basically, you can make pizza rustica over and over again and practically never have the same combination of ingredients twice!
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. You’ll find the complete detailed printable recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie Recipe)
Prepare a basic pie dough:
Combine flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of your food processor. Add cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a course meal. Add an egg and blend until combined.
With the motor running add a tbsp. of ice cold water at a time until a dough is formed and wraps itself around the blade. I added 5 tbsps. of water to my dough. Remove the dough from the food processor, shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling:
Sauté mild Italian sausage (or spicy if you prefer) without the casing in a skillet until no longer pink. Set aside to cool.
In the same skillet sauté half a bunch of chopped swiss chard (stems removed) with a minced clove of garlic until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Once cooled squeeze out the excess water.
In a large bowl combine the sausage; swiss chard; ricotta; prosciutto cotto; shredded provolone and mozzarella; grated Parmigiano/Pecorino Romano cheese; eggs and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine.
To assemble:
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Cut a piece of dough representing roughly 2/3 of the dough. Lightly flour your counter and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared spring form pan. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to remove excess dough.
Pour the filling into the pan. Roll out the remaining dough to cover the filling. Crimp the top and bottom dough together as desired. Brush the top with egg wash and make a few slits in the dough.
Bake for 1 hour until the top is golden. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent it with a sheet of foil and continue baking. Transfer to a wire rack to rest about for about 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Let cool to room temperature before cutting into the pizza rustica to prevent the filling from coming apart when slicing.
Tips and suggestions:
- They cheese may be cut into cubes instead of shredded.
- Replace mild sausage with spicy Italian sausage for an extra kick.
- Enjoy warm, at room temperature or cold.
- Pizza rustica is ideally made a day ahead and reheated or served cold the following day.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days.
If you try out this recipe let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin it for later. Buon appetito!
Here are more traditional Easter recipes for you to enjoy!
- Sicilian Cuddura cu l’ova
- Mom’s Sicilian Easter Pie
- Sweet Ricotta Easter Calzone
- Sicilian Easter Cookies with Eggs
- Easy No Crust Easter Pastiera
- Almond Paste Cookies with Icing (Paste Reali)
- Italian Braided Easter Bread with Eggs
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1 large egg
For the filling
- 500 grams mild Italian sausage without the casing
- 300 grams swiss chard 1/2 bunch, stems removed
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 100 grams prosciutto cotto (about 3 slices)
- 475 grams whole milk ricotta drained if very watery
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup provolone cheese shredded
- 5 tbsp Parmigiano/Pecorino Romano cheeses grated (or only 1 of 2 if you prefer)
- 4 large eggs
- pepper to taste
To assemble
- 1 large egg for brushing on the crust
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of your food processor. Add cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a course meal. Add the egg and blend until combined.
- With the motor running begin adding a tbsp of ice cold water at a time until a dough is formed and wraps itself around the blade. I added 5 tbsps of water to my dough. Remove the dough from the food processor, shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Prepare the filling:
- Sauté mild Italian sausage in a skillet until no longer pink. Set aside in a bowl to cool.
- In the same skillet sauté the chopped swiss chard (stems removed) with a minced clove of garlic until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Once cooled squeeze out excess water.
- In a large bowl combine the sausage; swiss chard; ricotta; shredded provolone and mozzarella; grated Parmigiano/Pecorino Romano cheese; eggs and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine.
To assemble:
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Cut a piece of dough representing roughly 2/3 of the dough. Lightly flour your counter and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared spring form pan. Run a knife around the edge to remove excess dough.
- Pour the filling into the pan. Roll out the remaining dough to cover the filling. Crimp the top and bottom dough together as desired. Brush the top with egg wash and make a few slits in the dough.
To bake:
- Bake for 1 hour until the top is golden. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent it with a sheet of foil and continue baking.
- Transfer to a wire rack to rest about for about 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Let cool to room temperature before cutting into the pizza rustica to prevent the filling from coming apart when slicing.
Notes
- They cheese may be cut into cubes instead of shredded.
- Replace mild sausage with spicy Italian sausage for an extra kick.
- Enjoy warm, at room temperature or cold.
- Pizza rustica is ideally made a day ahead and reheated or served cold the following day.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.
Nutrition
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You never say what to do with the prosciutto. Do I place it in the bottom of pie crust, on top of filling or add to filling
Sorry about that. You’re right! When you prep the filling -step 3- please stir in with the remaining ingredients such as sausage, ricotta, cheeses etc… Hope you enjoy it Rebecca!
Made it tonight. Thank you it’s delicious.
Excellent Rebecca I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know!
delicious!
Thanks Angie!