My family and I have never really had a traditional Easter meal, but a couple of years ago I learned about the classic Italian Easter Pie and decided to try it myself. I thought it would me a nice way to celebrate Easter with my family. During my research I found that everyone seems to have their own way of making Italian Easter pie. Since no two recipes are the same, I came up with my own version. The ingredients can get a bit expensive, so I did not end up making it last year as my budget was pretty tight. This Easter, with everyone staying home because of covid19, I wanted to do something to make Easter special. What better way than to make an Italian Easter Pie, also known as Pizza Rustica. I am not Italian, but I do appreciate Italian food. I prepared it two ways, a traditional pie and a low carb pie.
I have only made these twice, so I am still learning, I am not an expert, but if you do decided to try my Italian Easter Pie recipe, let me know, I would love to hear how it turned out for you. Just remember, I am not an expert.
Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Rustica) Makes 2 pies
For the pie crust:
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Instant Yeast
1/2 cup olive oil
5 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.
To this add the olive oil and salt. Slowly mix in the flour, one cup at a time. Knead for about 5 minutes, then cover and let rest for 2 hours.
For the filling:
11 eggs
1 1/2 pound Italian cheese, you select the type and amount of each, but you will need approximately 1 1/2 pounds. I used Provolone, Parmesan, and Pecorino Romano. (Some people use ricotta cheese, but I did not, as I said, you can select your own type of cheese.)
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage/meats, you can select the type and amount of each. Here are some suggestions: prosciutto, sopressata, mortadella.
Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl, then set aside.
1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water to use for the egg wash.
To assemble the pies: You will need two 8 1/2 -9 inch deep-dish pans. Spring form pans work great. I greased and lined the bottoms of my pans with parchment paper. Be sure to also grease the sides of the pans. Divide your dough into four sections. Roll out the dough. First I roll the bottom crusts and line the pans with the dough. Then add half of the filling to each pan. Roll out the top crusts and place on the filled pies. I cut the top crusts into strips and did a basket weave on the top of the pie. Seal the edges as you see fit. At this point you will want to use the egg wash on the top crust. Gently brush the egg wash on the top crust. Now it is time to bake your Italian Easter Pie. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, until nice and golden brown on top. Ovens very in temperature, so be sure to check on your pie. This recipe makes 2 pies.
Low Carb variation:
The filling is the same as the regular pie, but instead of the dough recipe, you will want to use a low carb crust recipe. I am still working on a recipe for my low carb version. This is what I have so far:
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of my baking blend (I am sure you could use the Trim Healthy Mama Baking blend.)
1/2 cup oat fiber (NOT oat flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
4 tablespoons softened butter
5 tablespoons sour cream
Combine ingredients and form into two balls. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for an hour. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. I found this dough to be quite sticky. Gently remove the rounds from the parchment paper and fill the bottom of the baking round. This is tricky, but the dough is forgiving and you can just press it into the bottom and sides of the pan. Fill the bottom crust with half of the filling. If you are making only 1 pie, you can half the filling recipe. Then roll out the top half, again being careful with this sticky dough. Make your top as intricate or simple as you like. I did the basket weave on my pie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Oven temperatures very, so keep an eye on the pie toward the end of the cooking time. My pie was a golden brown and bit bubbly on the edges when I pulled it out of the over.
Enjoy your Italian Easter Pie. Let me know if you try my recipe. I have only made these twice, so I am still learning, I am not an expert.