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Italian Easter Pie
Every Easter I look so forward to Mamma’s Italian Easter Pie. I cannot describe how good it smells and tastes fresh out of the oven. Warm or cold, it’s a little slice of heaven!
An Italian tradition, Easter Pie is called many things depending on which region of Italy you are from. In Italian-American dialect and in my family we call it pizza gain. It is also known as pizza rustica, pizza piena and pizzachino to name a few.
Easter immediately follows Lent which is a time of fasting, particularly from meat on Fridays. Come Easter Sunday, it is time to celebrate the end of the season of penance and enjoy a meat filled treat.
Traditionally, Mamma serves it along with the antipasto before the main meal on Easter Sunday. Between the pie and the Italian Antipasto Salad, who needs anything more? Two of my favorites!
I have tried so many variations over the years but of course I like Mamma’s best!
Give this one a try. I’m sure you will like it too!
5 eggs
½ lb. pepperoni (thinly sliced and chopped into small dice size pieces)
½ lb. Genoa salami (thinly sliced and chopped into small dice size pieces)
½ lb. ham capicola (thinly sliced and chopped into small dice size pieces)
1 lb. bag shredded mozzarella (whole milk or part skim) 1 15 oz. small tub Ricotta (whole milk or part skim) 1 ball of pizza dough
2 Hefty EZ Foil cake pans (8 ½ in dia. x 1 ½ in)
In a large mixing bowl add eggs, ricotta and mozzarella and mix well. Then add the chopped meats and mix all together.
Sprinkle some flour on a clean flat surface and roll out dough nice and thin. You will need to fill 2 pans with dough.
Once rolled thin, lift dough over pan and gently cover entire pan. Tuck in dough to make sure it fills bottom and sides completely. Leave excess overlapping the pan until after you add the filling. Take half of the meat mixture and fill first pan completely. Trim dough from around the edges of the pan. Take excess dough and knead and roll out again for 2nd pie. Add remaining meat mixture and trim off any excess dough from around the edges of the pan.
Bake in pre heated oven on 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Each oven is different so it may take a little longer. Check often to see if it’s done by using a toothpick. If the crust is golden and the toothpick lifts out clean, it is done. When done let cool off completely before putting in refrigerator. This pie should typically be made a day or two before serving. Leave Mamma's Italian Easter Pie recipe and return to Italian Bread Recipes.
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