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Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie Recipe)

Pizza Rustica (Easter Pie Recipe) is a savory pie typically served the day after Easter, or Pasquetta, in Italy. My version is filled with sausage, prosciutto cotto, swiss chard, cheese and eggs to create a satisfying, rustic pizza rustica that is perfect for brunch or take along on a picnic!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pizza rustica, Easter pie, savory Italian pie
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 1164kcal

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

Calories: 1164kcal | Carbohydrates: 123g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 248mg | Sodium: 1095mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2987IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 373mg | Iron: 9mg