Recipe: Easter Pie, Pizza Rustica di Pasqua, and Italian Easter Pie

EASTER PIE

CRUST:
8 cups flour
3 tbsp. baking powder
1 lb. Crisco
6 eggs
Water
FILLING:
2 lbs. Ricotta
1/4 lb. provolone
1/2 lb. pepperoni
1/4 lb. cappicola
1 cup grated cheese
1 lb. mozzarella
1/4 lb. salami
1/4 lb. prosciutto
6 hard boiled egs
FOR BRUSHING TOP:
2 egg yolks

Grease pan. Measure flour on board or table, make well in flour and add all ingredients making sure to add enough water to work dough. Keep mixing the mixture until smooth and easy to handle. Roll out half dough and place in greased pan.

Mix all ingredients for the filling together and pour in crust. Roll out remaining dough to fit over pie, flute edges and prick with fork.

Beat up 2 egg yolks and brush over top of crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown.

PIZZA RUSTICA DI PASQUA

CRUST:
2 cups flour
2/3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water
FILLING FOR 2 PIES:
1 egg
1/2 cup dried or chopped fresh Italian parsley
a dash of salt to taste
2 lbs. ricotta
1/2 lb. prosciutto, sliced
1 1/2 lbs. Mozzarella, sliced
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 lb. grated Romano cheese
1/2 lb. pepperoni, sliced
1/2 lb. provolone, sliced
1/2 lb. Genoa salami or Suppersatta, sliced
1/2 lb. ham, sliced
1 or 2 beaten eggs (for brushing tops)

CRUST:
Mix dry ingredients together. Blend shortening into dry ingredients with fork. Mix egg with cold water add to flour mixture. Mix until ball is formed. Divide dough in half. Roll out and line 2 deep dish pie dishes.

FILLING:
Mix 1 egg, parsley and salt to taste to ricotta cheese. Mix well.

Layer all ingredients on pie shell as you would lasagna using all ingredients or until dishes are filled. Roll out the remaining dough and top both pies. Cut slits on top of each pie.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes lower to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown. About 15 minutes before pies are done brush tops of crust with beaten egg. Remove from oven and cool completely. Keep refrigerated.

ITALIAN EASTER PIE

Pastry for 2 crust pie
16 oz. Ricotta cheese
4 oz. pepperoni or salami
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (I use less)
4 oz. Prosciutto or Virginia ham
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 egg white (for brushing top)

Mix Ricotta, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper; spread in pastry lined pie plate. Top with half of the ham, egg slices and then remaining ham in layers. Cover with top crust, trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from edge of plate and flute edge and decorate. Brush top with egg white.

Bake until top is golden brown, at least 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.