Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Rustica): A Good Friday Tradition Worth Savoring

RECIPES

Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Gaina)

PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR

SERVES: 24-26 SLICES

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In Italian-American homes, Easter isn’t complete without Pizza Gaina—also known as Pizza Rustica or Easter Pie. Always made on Good Friday and packed with the best meats and cheeses, this savory pie is a cherished tradition in my family. This version is the way my mom makes it, though both of my grandmothers had their own takes, proving that every family adds their own flavor to this holiday staple. The quality of your ingredients truly makes or breaks the dish. If you grew up with Pizza Gaina on your Easter table, I’d love to hear how your family made it—share your memories in the comments!

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Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper

8 large eggs, divided

4 tbsp vegetable oil

15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese

¼ lb proscuttini block, diced

¼ lb piccolo salami block, diced

¼ lb dry Italian sausage block, diced

¼ lb mozzarella cheese block, diced

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Tools:

Rolling pin

7×9-inch rectangle glass baking dish

Pastry wheel

Pastry brush

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and black pepper and stir to combine.

3.In a separate small mixing bowl, beat 3 eggs with the oil until combined.

4.Make a well in the flour and pour the egg mixture into the well. Stir the egg mixture with a fork to slowly combine with the flour. Once the flour becomes incorporated, start to knead the dough with your hands. Knead dough for 1-2 minutes or until it becomes one ball and then allow to rest in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature while you prepare the filling.

5.Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta and remaining 5 eggs together until combined. Add the diced meats, diced cheese, and parmesan cheese and stir to evenly coat and combine.

6.Prepare a flat surface with flour. Roll the dough ball out on the floured surface into a 10 in by 12 in rectangle, the dough should be about ⅛ in thick.

7.Transfer the dough to 7×9-inch rectangle glass baking dish and press down into the dish and up along the sides to mold into the shape of the dish. Trim along the top edge of the dish so that the dough is flush with the top edge of the dish.

8.Save the trimmed dough and roll back out into 9 in and 7 in long strips that are ½ in wide. Roll a pastry wheel along the strip edges to carve a crimped pattern. Set the strips aside.

9.Transfer the ricotta filling into the prepared crust. Place the dough strips over the filling, overlapping them over each other. Crimp the strip edges to the dough edge. Lightly wet a pastry brush with the filling and brush the strips.

10.Bake for 1 hour or until the filling is no longer jiggly and the top and crust are a golden brown color.

11.Allow to cool completely before serving. 

NOTES:

Do not cut this pie while it is still hot as the filling needs to set so always wait until it cools completely.

Always buy high quality Italian imported ingredients. The flavor of this dish comes from the meats and cheeses that you use. If you skimp on the meats and cheeses, you will taste it.

You can always buy a store-bought crust and just make the filling. However, I recommend making this easy pastry crust in this recipe as it gives the dish a more homemade flavor.

It is tradition to make this on Good Friday but you can make it the day before or after and still serve it on Easter. Great to make to serve as an appetizer at your Easter dinner!

This will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. Best tasting served at room temperature.

To store in the refrigerator, remove the pie from the baking dish once completely cooled. Cover completely wrapped with a paper towel. Wrap completely in aluminum foil. Change the paper towel after the first 2 days.

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