Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Rustica)

2023-03-26
Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Rustica)
Hands On Time:
20 mins
Bake Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Cool Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 50 mins
Servings:
12

Similar to a quiche, Pizza Rustica is an Italian meat pie commonly enjoyed on Good Friday to celebrate the end of Lent. This Italian Easter pie recipe is filled with melty cheese, diced ham, pepperoni, salami, and prosciutto. Adding ricotta cheese to the filling helps create the rich flavor and creamy texture. Hot roll mix, which can be found in the baking aisle, is our Test Kitchen's speedy shortcut to creating the crust. You don't need many special tools to create this Easter dinner recipe but a springform pan is a must for creating the deep dish pie and also makes slicing and serving it much easier.

Round out the Easter meal with a bright green salad and fresh fruit. The vinaigrette on the salad helps cut through the richness of the Pizza Rustica recipe. This dish is best served warm from the oven.

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz package hot roll mix

  • 5 eggs

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese

  • 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 cup diced ham (5 ounces)

  • 1 cup diced pepperoni (4 1/2 ounces)

  • 1 cup diced salami (4 1/2 ounces)

  • 1 spray , about 1/3 second nonstick cooking spray

  • 4 slices prosciutto

  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare the hot roll mix according to the package directions through the kneading step using 1 of the eggs, water, and butter. Cover and let the dough rest while you make the filling.

  2. In a large bowl, combine 3 of the eggs, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and pepper.

    Test Kitchen Tip: We didn't include any added salt in the recipe because the cheeses and meats contain salt.

  3. Stir in the ham, pepperoni, and salami.

  4. Coat the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll three-fourths of the dough into a 13-inch circle.

  5. Place dough in the springform pan (the dough will extend about 2-1/2 inches up the sides). Press pleats in dough as necessary to fit.

  6. Layer bottom of dough with prosciutto slices. Spoon meat and cheese mixture into the crust.

  7. Roll remaining dough into a 9-inch circle; place over the filling. Fold the excess bottom crust over the top crust and crimp edge to seal.

  8. Cut a small slit in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.

  9. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and 1 Tbsp. water. Brush over the top of the dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

  10. Bake the Pizza Rustica for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the pie for 20 minutes on a wire rack. To serve, remove the sides of springform pan and cut the dish into wedges.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

371 Calories
22g Fat
20g Carbs
22g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 371.4
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22.3g 29%
Saturated Fat 8.9g 45%
Cholesterol 142mg 47%
Sodium 1125.5mg 49%
Total Carbohydrate 20.1g 7%
Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3%
Total Sugars 1.2g
Protein 21.5g 43%
Vitamin D 1mcg 5%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 159.5mg 12%
Iron 2.2mg 12%
Potassium 295.4mg 6%
Fatty acids, total trans 0.4g
Vitamin D 39.8IU
Alanine 1.1g
Arginine 1.3g
Ash 4.1g
Aspartic acid 1.9g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 0mcg
Choline, total 109.3mg
Copper, Cu 0.1mg
Cystine 0.3g
Energy 1554.5kJ
Fluoride, F 24mcg
Folate, total 64.4mcg
Glutamic acid 4g
Glycine 0.9g
Histidine 0.8g
Isoleucine 1g
Leucine 1.9g
Lysine 1.8g
Methionine 0.5g
Magnesium, Mg 26.8mg
Manganese, Mn 0.5mg
Niacin 4.3mg
Phosphorus, P 279mg
Pantothenic acid 1mg
Phenylalanine 1g
Phytosterols 3.9mg
Proline 1.4g
Retinol 101.9mcg
Selenium, Se 37.7mcg
Serine 1.1g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0.9g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.8mg
Tryptophan 0.3g
Tyrosine 0.9g
Valine 1.2g
Vitamin A, IU 359.6IU
Vitamin A, RAE 103mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.9mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.3mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 4.4mcg
Water 104.5g
Zinc, Zn 2.4mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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