Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie)

What is Pizza Rustica/Pizza Gain?

Pizza Rustica, also known as Pizza Gain, Pizzagaina, or Torta Pasqualina ("Easter Pie") among other names, is a savory meat, cheese, and egg filled crusted pie traditionally served on Easter Sunday. Neapolitan in origin, this holiday dish is similar to a supersized quiche/cheesecake mashup with its own unique texture. It's assembled in a 9-inch springform pan to accommodate the extra height, and bakes up into quite a showstopper.

As with many Italian recipes, this isn't the only way to make pizza rustica. The meats and cheeses used can vary, as can the sometimes addition of vegetables such as spinach. Just like in treats such as cucidati/cuccidati, everyone does it a little differently (even the spelling).

It was interesting to research other takes on something I've been eating all my life. No way is wrong, just don't eat it on Good Friday like a *large online food publication* suggests to do if you're abstaining from meat during Lent. 😉

While this recipe is how my family makes it, I've noted below the different areas with wiggle room for you to make it your own.

Recipe Ingredients

There are four main components of pizza rustica - crust, eggs, cheeses, and meats. This recipe is not for the faint of heart and unlike many of my recipes, doesn't really have any room to be lightened up. It strongly leans into that once-a-year holiday comfort food title.

• Pie Crust: Simple ingredients here - all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, eggs, salt, and cold water. The butter brings a classic pie crust flakiness, while the eggs help produce a smooth and strong dough that can stand up to the hefty filling.
• Eggs: You'll need nine. Six in the filling, two in the crust, and one for an egg wash. The eggs in the filling are separated, which helps produce a light and fluffy texture that isn't too dense at all.
• Cheeses: Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan are all added to the pizza rustica filling. I use whole milk ricotta here as it's creamier than part-skim and adds to the semi-luxe, special occasion food vibe. In place of Parmesan you can use Pecorino Romano or your preferred variety of hard Italian cheese you can grate.
• Meats: My family always uses salami for pizza rustica, though other versions include other meats. I've taken to including an equal mix of three salami products: hard salami, Genoa salami, and spicy sopressata. Twelve ounces of meat in total is recommended, so feel free to use just one or two salami varieties, or sub in portions of the following:
  • cooked and crumbled Italian sausage
  • thickly-sliced prosciutto
  • diced pepperoni
• Everything Else: My version of pizza rustica also includes one-half cup of milk to help lighten the texture, chopped fresh parsley, and ground black pepper. Notice that salt is not added here as the meats and cheeses provide enough. There's also salt in the crust.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Crust

1. Dry ingredients and butter - Whisk together the flour and salt, then cut in the small-cubed butter using a pastry blender or two forks. Aim for the butter pieces to get down to around the size of a pea or a pencil eraser, which is usually referred to as a coarse crumb consistency. That's pictured on the left in the photo above.
2. Work in eggs - Form a well in the center of the flour mixture. Beat two eggs in a separate bowl and then pour them into the well. Using a fork or a spoon, start to stir and work the eggs into the crust mixture. It won't come together into a ball yet, rather the egg will moisten everything and the crust will form larger pieces and begin to look a little shaggy. That's on the right side of the photo above.

3. Add water to form dough - Mix in chilled water one tablespoon at a time until the dough can form a cohesive ball. Go slow here and add the water a little at a time as everyone's conditions differ and your crust may require less or more. Too little water and the dough will be dry and crumbly, while too much will lead to a sticky dough that's difficult to handle. I usually end up using somewhere between three and four tablespoons of water during this process.
4. Chill then roll out - The dough needs at least one hour to chill in the refrigerator to firm up, so press it into a flattened disc (this shape helps it chill more evenly versus a big lump), wrap it in plastic wrap, then stick it in the fridge. More on the shaping of the crust further down.

Towards the end of the dough chill time is a good time to begin the process of making the filling.

Mix the Filling

Something that sets this pizza rustica recipe apart from others out there is separating the eggs. While separating the eggs is more work, this step really helps to create a fluffy filling consistency that ends up lighter in texture than you might think possible given these ingredients. I wouldn't skip it.

5. Separate eggs - Add the yolks to a large mixing bowl and add the whites to the bowl of a stand mixer or other mixing bowl.
6. Mix - Add the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, milk, Parmesan, parsley, and pepper to the bowl with the egg yolks and mix everything well. Stir in the cubed meat.
7. Whip and fold in egg whites - Use an electric mixer to whip the reserved egg whites until stiff peaks form. This stage is reached when you can lift out the beaters and the egg whites stand up. Fold the whites into the bowl with the rest of the filling ingredients.

Assemble and Bake

8. Roll out the dough - Sliced the chilled dough into two portions: a larger one about two-thirds of the total, and a remaining one-third. Working with the larger piece first, roll it out onto a lightly floured work surface until it reaches about between 15 - 16 inches in diameter and one-eighth inch thickness. You shouldn't need too much flour as the dough isn't very sticky at all and the eggs give it a strong stretchiness.
9. Assemble - Lay the dough gently over the greased springform pan, trying not to stretch it, and gently press it flat along the bottoms and sides, leaving a few inches of overhang. Pour in the filling, then roll out the second piece of dough into a 9- to 10-inch circle. Lay this on top of the filling, then fold in the overhang dough pieces and press to join the two pieces.

10. Crimp crust and vent - Press the tines of a fork into the joined crust, then slice a few slits into the top crust.
11. Egg wash - Beat it in a bowl with two teaspoons of water, then brush it onto the entire top surface of the pizza rustica. This will help the crust turn nice and golden brown.
12. Bake - Bake it for an hour (or longer) until the pizza rustica is a deep golden to golden brown color.

Make-Ahead Instructions

I highly recommend making pizza rustica the day before you want to serve it. This recipe is just about the opposite of quick and easy, and requires sufficient cooling down time once all is said and done.

Fully bake the pizza rustica the day before, leaving it whole to solidify completely. On the day of, place it in the oven to heat thoroughly, tenting the top with aluminum foil to prevent it from browning further.

Additional Tips and Tricks

• Deli Counter Tip - If buying salami from the supermarket deli counter, ask them to slice it to "dinner cut" thickness. This is around one-quarter inch and makes cubing the salami really easy.
• Quality Ingredients - I find the pay off worth it to choose high-quality ricotta and Parmesan/Pecorino. My favorite easy-to-find ricotta is Galbani (I have no relationship with them), while I grate/shred a wedge of Parmesan or Pecorino. Don't go for the shelf-stable canisters of Parmesan here as they're lacking in flavor.
• Storage Instructions - Wrap leftover wedges in aluminum foil or plastic wrap or place in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezing Instructions - Pizza rustica freezes very well. Cut into wedges, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in air-tight bags or containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat in the oven, covering the top with aluminum foil to prevent the crust from browning too much.

More Italian Easter Recipes

• Always a favorite appetizer for holidays: Italian stuffed mushrooms. My family recipe is meatless.
• We traditionally dig into these on Christmas, but Italian stuffed artichokes are a special treat any time.
• Struffoli is another big Christmas recipe, but many families also make a batch to enjoy around Easter. This recipe turns simple ingredients into a honey-kissed treat.
• Who doesn't love Italian cookies? Italian anise cookies, pizzelle, pignoli cookies, florentines, Italian sesame cookies...it's hard to pick a favorite.