Pizza Rustica
This pizza recipe is from a good friend of my wife. She grew up in an Italian household so I am thrilled she sent me her grandmother's recipe. Here is what she says,
"This was my grandmother's recipe and it was her mother's, and probably older than that. What makes it an Easter dish is that you were not able to eat meat on Good Friday and the following Saturday morning, so at noon they would celebrate with this meat pie. The recipe is as follows." Laura
Home Chef Laura Carnazza's
Pizza Rustica
(Carnival Pie)
Ingredients:
1 lb. ricotta cheese
4-6 eggs
3/4 grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. mozzarella chopped
1/2 lb. domestic ham diced large
1 stick pepperoni diced large
small stick sopressata diced large*
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 deep dish pie crusts with tops**
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese and add eggs one at a time until thoroughly mixed but not watery. Stir in mozzarella, ham, pepperoni, sopprasetta, and sugar.
Pour mixture into two deep dish pie crusts to the very top. Cover with pie dough and punch a few holes in the tops with a fork for venting. Brush with egg yolk and cook 45 minutes - 1 hour.
*Sopressata is an Italian specialty meat that may be hard to find, so substitute by replacing it with another 1/2 pound of domestic ham.
**As for the pie crusts, my grandmother used a crust similar to that of a quiche. I use the pre-made frozen pie crusts and work great. Laura
Thanks Laura for your grandmother's recipe. RG
