Pizza Rustica – Traditional Italian Easter Pie
This post may include affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission if you purchase through my link. Affiliate Disclaimer.
Pizza Rustica, the ultimate traditional 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.
On Easter Sunday, it is a tradition in southern Italy to break the Lenten fast by enjoying sweet Italian Easter Bread, Sicilian Anise Cookies (Pani di Cena Biscotti), and digging into a delicious Pizza Rustica.
Traditional pizza rustica is loaded with everyone’s favorite salumi and cheeses and is typically served cold or at room temperature. It may be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack, or part of the main course.
Pizza Rustica (AKA pizza ripiena or pizza gaina) may include any combination of Italian meats such as salami, mortadella, prosciutto, or Soppressata, which are mixed with ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, and eggs to make up the filling.
The crust that encases this dense filling also varies. In some areas of Italy, an easy pizza crust is used; in others, a pastry crust or “pasta frolla” is more typical. I prefer a buttery pastry crust. Regardless of your preference, there’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked Pizza Rustica wafting through the kitchen.
At one time, you could only find this savory pie in Italy. But, just like Sicilian Arancini, another Italian specialty that has grown in popularity, you can now find it in Italian restaurants and bakeries throughout the US.
Although it may look intimidating, this Italian Easter Pie recipe is quite easy and allows you leeway to use your favorite ingredients. Below, I’ve included step-by-step instructions with cooking tips to help you out!
Ingredients with Notes
Crust Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- Butter: The butter should be cold and cut into cubes. The colder the butter the flakier the crust.
- Flour: I have only made this with all-purpose flour, so I don’t know how another flour would change the result.
- 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.
- Italian Deli meats: Mortadella, Soppressata, and Capicola all cut into ½” cubes. Feel free to use your favorite Italian deli meats.
- Italian Cheeses:
- Provolone Cheese and Mozzarella cut into cubes
- Pecorino Romano (or parmesan cheese), grated.
- Ricotta, whole milk, drained of water. You can also use basket cheese, which is common in Italy but may be harder to find elsewhere.
Variations to this Pizza Rustica Recipe
Different regions of Italy may add other ingredients to this rustic pie. In some areas, Italian sausage is 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.
Pizza Rustica Step-By-Step Instructions
To Make the Crust
Photo 1: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
Photo 2: Add the butter and pulse until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Photo 3: Add the eggs.
Photo 4: Pulse until completely combined.
Photo 5: Continue to pulse the food processor as you add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until a ball of dough forms.
Photo 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.
Photo 7: Cover the dough in plastic wrap and set aside to rest.
Photo 8: Divide the dough into two pieces. One piece should be about 1/3 of the ball and will be used for the top of the pie. The remaining 2/3 of the ball will be 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.
Make the Filling and Assemble the Pizza Ripiena
Photo 9: Transfer the dough for the bottom crust to the pan and gently press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Trim the excess dough from around the top of the pan using a sharp knife.
Photo 10: Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl then pour the filling into the crust and press it into an even layer.
Photo 11: 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.
Photo 12: 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 and will not have a flaky crust.
- 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 rimmed baking 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.
- Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours. It will not be fully set until it has completely cooled.
Storage and Freezing
Pizza Rustica should be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in the refrigerator.
You can freeze leftovers by wrapping them tightly with plastic wrap and then placing them in a freezer bag or a freezer container.
Pizza Rustica FAQs
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.
Pizzagaina and Pizza rustica are the same thing. Pizzagaina is the Neopolitan word for stuffed pizza and Pizza Rustica means ristic pizza.
Making the homemade crust is pretty easy and I think it is tasty, but you can certainly use a storebought crust if you want to save some time.
I love to get your feedback so if you tried this Pizza Rustica or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you!
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!
Pizza Rustica – Traditional Italian Easter Pie
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Enza’s Quail Hollow Kitchen
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup Butter unsalted, very cold, cubed, plus more for greasing pan
- 3½ cups Flour all purpose
- 1 tsp Salt Kosher
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Eggs large
- 7-10 tbsp Ice Water
Filling
- ¼ lb. Mortadella cubed
- ¼ lb. Soppressata cubed
- ¼ lb. Capicola cubed, hot
- ¼ lb. Provolone cheese cubed
- ½ lb. Mozzarella cheese fresh, cubed
- 8 oz. Ricotta cheese whole milk, drained
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- ¼ tsp Black pepper ground
- 2 Eggs large beaten
- 1 Egg for the egg wash
Instructions
Crust
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the butter and pulse until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the eggs and pulse until mixed well.
- Continue to pulse the food processor as you add the cold water one tablespoon at a time just until a dough ball forms
- 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. Cover it with plastic wrap. Set it aside to rest while you prepare the filling.
Filling
- 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.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a springform pan by greasing the bottom and sides with olive oil or butter and set it aside. Beat 1 egg with a teaspoon of water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Divide the dough into two pieces, (one piece should be about 1/3 of the ball 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. Transfer the dough to the pan and gently press it evenly into the bottom and up the the sides of the pan. Using a sharp knife, trim the excess dough from around the top 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 it into an 11-inch-wide rectangle and cut it into 1” -1 ¼” strips long enough to reach across the width of the spring form pan.
- Pour the filling into the crust and press it into an even layer. Lay the top crust on top of the filling or place the strips in a lattice formation over the filling and press the edges into the bottom crust. Trim the excess crust and brush the egg wash on all the exposed areas of crust.
- Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 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 covered and placed in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- 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.
- 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 outside of the pan with aluminum foil or place the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any of the butter that might leak out.
- Don’t over do it with the meats. 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.
What exactly is Basket chees, my grandmother told me to use it in her recipe, never could find it, but I will try your recipe. Thank you
Hi Lu Ann I am glad you are going to try my recipe! Basket cheese is a slightly sweet cow’s milk cheese that is kind of a cross between mozzarella and ricotta. It is a bit drier than ricotta. You might be able to find it in Italian specialty stores, but I have never seen in in any of our local grocery stores.
You have to try this dish.
Thanks John. I am so glad you enjoyed our Pizza Rustica recipe.