Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie)
This traditional Pizza Rustica recipe is a hearty Italian Easter pie made with a flaky homemade crust and a savory filling of sausage, prosciutto, cheeses, and spinach. Perfect for holidays, brunches, or any time you're craving serious comfort food.
Ingredients
For the Pastry Crust:
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter cold and cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 4 tablespoons cold water or more as needed
For the Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces Italian sausage casings removed
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
- 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
- 12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese cubed
- 1/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated (or Parmesan)
- 4 ounces prosciutto coarsely chopped
- 4 large egg yolks beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large egg beaten (for brushing crust)
Instructions
- Make pastry crust by blending flour, salt, butter, and oil until crumbly.
- Add eggs and water to form dough. Chill for 30 mins.
- Sauté sausage in oil until browned. Let cool.
- Mix egg yolks, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, sausage, prosciutto, and spinach.
- Roll out crust, line pan, and fill with the mixture.
- Cover with top crust and seal edges..
- See full steps with tips & photos → https://p4pd.org/pizza-rustica-3/
Notes
- Make sure the spinach is thoroughly drained to avoid excess moisture.
- You can prepare the dough and filling a day ahead and assemble the next day.
- Let the pie rest before slicing for clean edges.