Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie Recipe)

Pizza Rustica, also known as Italian Easter Pie, is truly a culinary masterpiece! A decadent filling of Italian cured meats, cheeses and eggs is encased in a buttery flaky deep-dish crust and baked to golden brown perfection. 

At one time you could only find Pizza Rustica in Italy, but just like Arancini, another Italian specialty that has grown in popularity, you can now find it in Italian restaurants and bakeries in the US as well.

Ingredients You Need to Make Italian Easter Pie with Notes

Crust Ingredients

• Butter: The butter should be cold and cut into cubes. The colder the butter the flakier the crust.
• Flour: I like to keep things simple and use all purpose flour. 
• Kosher salt and Baking Powder
• Eggs: Use large eggs that have come to room temperature. The size of the eggs will dictate the amount of water that you will need to moisten the dough.
• Water: The water should be ice cold.

Filling Ingredients

• Italian Deli meats: Mortadella, Soppressata, and Capicola all cut into ½” cubes.
• Cheeses: Provolone Cheese and fresh Mozzarella cut into cubes
  • Pecorino Romano, grated.
  • Ricotta, whole milk, drained of water. You can also use basket cheese, which is common in Italy but may be harder to find in other parts of the world.
• Eggs: I use large beaten eggs. 
• Ground Black Pepper

Step By Step Instructions

To Make the Crust

1. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
2. Add the butter and pulse until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add the eggs and
4. Pulse until mixed well.
5. Continue to pulse the food processor as you add the cold water one tablespoon at a time just until a dough ball forms.
6. Remove the dough from the food processor, place it on a lightly floured surface, form it into a ball and knead it a few times. 
7. Cover it with plastic wrap. Set it aside to rest while you prepare the filling.
8. Divide the dough into two pieces. One piece should be about 1/3 of the ball and will be used for the top and the other should be about 2/3 of the ball, for the bottom crust. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the larger piece of dough into a circle about 4 inches wider than the spring form pan you are using. The dough needs to cover the bottom and come up the sides of the pan. Roll the smaller piece of dough into a circle slightly large then your springform pan. If you want to make a lattice top, roll the dough into an 11-inch-wide rectangle and cut it into 1” -1 ¼” strips. The strips need to be long enough to reach across the width of the spring form pan.

To Make the Filling

Assemble and Bake the Pizza Rustica

9. Transfer the dough for the bottom crust to the pan and gently press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Using a sharp knife, trim the excess dough from around the top of the pan. 

10. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until all of the ingredients are completely and evenly combined.

11. Pour the filling into the crust and press it into an even layer. 

12. Lay the top crust over the filling and cut a slit in the middle (or place the strips in a lattice formation over the filling) and press the edges into the bottom crust. Trim the excess crust. Brush the egg wash on all the exposed areas of the crust. 

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the center of a preheated 350F degree oven for 75 minutes. 

Remove the pizza rustica from the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes on a wire rack. Then remove the outer ring of the spring form pan and let it cool completely at room temperature. Once it cools, it can be removed from the bottom of the spring form pan and transferred to a serving plate. Cover and place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cooking Tips  

• Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off. If you scoop it you may end up with too much flour.
• Don’t over knead the dough. You only need to knead it a few times to pull it all together.
• Don’t worry if your crust breaks while you are placing it in the pan. You can easily piece it in and press it into place.
• The crust has a lot of butter in it and it may leak from your pan while baking. Either cover the outside of the pan with aluminum foil or place the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any of the grease that might leak out.
• Don’t over do it with the meats. Sometimes less is more! I speak from experience! Traditional Italian Easter pie is very dense and filling so I would select two or three of your favorite meats to enjoy in this recipe.

Variations

Different regions of Italy may add other ingredients to this rustic pie. In some areas, Italian sausage is cooked used in the filling in place of one of the cured meats. Other regions may add cooked spinach, parsley or even hard boiled eggs. So feel free to make your own creation with your favorite ingredients.

Storage and Freezing

Pizza Rustica should be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in the refrigerator. It can be eaten cold, but if you like it at room temperature then pull it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you are planning on eating it.

You can freeze leftovers by wrapping them tightly with plastic wrap and then placing them in a freezer bag or a freezer container.

Other Authentic Italian Holiday Recipes

Sfingi di San Giuseppe

Pasta con Sarde

Italian Fig Cookies (Cuccidati)