Easter Pizza Rustica

HAPPY EASTER! 

(To those of you who celebrate it).

I didn't want the month of March slip away before I had a chance to post about my foodventures. School is grueling and takes up most of my computer time. I have been doing a lot of vegetarian cooking since Ash Wednesday but staging and then taking pictures of my food would have taken me away from my studies for longer than I could afford. Expect to hear about Indian Veggie Curry and Buffalo Style Cauliflower in the future!

Allow me to present my Easter offering. Pizza Rustica! 

As you can see, it doesn't look like the pizza you order out or make at home.

Nor does it look like the Rustic Pizza from Papa Gino's if you live near one.

This is a pie. A breakfast pie. And it is absolutely wonderful.

Full of three different meats (my inner half-starved carnivore has been dreaming of them), and ricotta, mozzarella, romano, and eggs, this is one hell of a pie. Move over quiche. There's a new (old) breakfast pie on the table.

Even though I'm half Italian, Pizza Rustica wasn't something that we had at Easter (or ever for that matter). I didn't encounter it until a few years ago while dating my ex. His stepmother would make it every Easter and lo and behold, I got to try it for the first time. Then I was scolded for not upholding my Italian heritage by having it every Easter. While it was good, I wasn't blown away by its flavor or texture which was a little too spongey from the eggs, nevertheless, I found myself fascinated by it. I set out to find the best recipes for Pizza Rustica, ones that were less egg and more dense, and to come up with my own family recipe for it. New Easter tradition.

Recipe researching commenced.

I decided that this year, since there was no way my ex was going to bring me Pizza Rustica, I would make it for my family to enjoy after the 7:30 mass this morning. This means making it ahead of time! Which you should do, because this pie is meant to be eaten at room temperature. It tastes delicious warm too, that was how most of my family ate it, but if you want to be traditional, let it cool or warm to room temp before serving.

Pizza Rustica

The Taming of the Roux Original Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 13oz whole milk ricotta
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 handfuls grated romano cheese
• 1 handful shredded mozzarella cheese
• tsp ground black pepper
• 3-4 oz pancetta, diced
• 4 oz boiled ham, diced
• 4 oz prosciutto, diced (ask the man or woman behind the deli counter to cut a 4oz block off)
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
• tsp garlic, minced
• prepared pie crust (Yeah, I cheated. We don't all have time to make dough at home).

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. Make sure your cooking rack is on the lowest rung.

While the oven is heating, saute your onions, garlic, and meats until onions are translucent. Set aside to cool.

Mix your ricotta and egg yolks, stir in romano and mozzarella cheeses, then add the onions and meats to the ricotta mixture.

Press your preferred pie dough into the bottom of the pie plate. (Our pie plate is 9 inches and prepared crusts are made to fit an 8 inch pie plate. If yours is like mine, you'll have to roll the pie crust out a little to make it fit.)

Fill the bottom layer of the crust with the ricotta mixture. Top with the second layer of crust, rolling out first if necessary, and fold edges over the bottom layer to press and seal. You can use your preferred method of dressing the edges of the crust. (I pinched mine.) Then use a fork to pierce the top of your pie all over. Sprinkle a little romano over the top.

Bake in the oven on the lowest rung for the first 30 minutes uncovered. Use foil or edge protectors to cover the edges of the crust then continue baking for 15 minutes. (Total oven time 45 minutes).

Allow to cool to room temp before serving (if you want to be traditional). If not, allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

P.S. Dad wants me to make this every morning so he can have 3 pieces for breakfast every day. It's really a tasty dish with a meaty and salty cheesy flavor but it's not the healthiest. I do NOT recommend eating it every day. :)