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Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

Pizza Rustica

45 MINPrep Time
60 MINCook Time
8Servings
(2)
by Giada De Laurentiis
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman
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This is a celebratory Easter dish from the south of Italy - but it's so good, I encourage you to make it for just about any occasion. It's part quiche, part deep dish pizza, and just completely divine and so decadent.

The great thing about this dish too is that you can make it a day ahead of time, then pop it back in the oven to warm up before serving.

Feel free to play around with the fillings ingredients, too - while you need the eggs and cheese to sort of hold everything together, you could change the seasonings and herbs, and even add sun dried tomatoes or chopped artichokes.

Pizza Rustica

star

Pizza Rustica

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

8

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Calories

751

Author:

Giada De Laurentiis

Image of Pizza Rustica

Ingredients

    For The Crust:

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup fine cornmeal or polenta
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 ¼ cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

  • 2/3 cup ice water (plus 1 tablespoon if needed)
  • For The Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces hot or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed and drained
  • ½ teaspoon Calabrian chili paste, optional
  • 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
  • 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus 2 extra tablespoons, for topping
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
  • 4 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
  • To Assemble:

  • 1 large egg, beaten to blend

Instructions

  1. To make the crust, to a large bowl add the flour, cornmeal and salt. Use your hand to combine everything together. Add the cold butter and begin quickly working it with your fingers, smearing it slightly to make small streaks of butter with flour and pieces of butter the size of a chickpeas. Do not over work. Add the ice water and stir to combine. When it is just starting to come together, pour the mixture out onto a clean surface and knead the mixture 4 or 5 times to bring it together. Form a flat disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, position the rack on the bottom of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and saute until golden brown, breaking the sausage into pieces, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

  3. Into a large bowl, add egg yolks and beat lightly. Stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, the Calabrian chili paste if using, and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add the sausage, the spinach and prosciutto to the mixture and stir to combine.

  4. Take the refrigerated dough, and cut off about 2/3 of the flat disk for the bottom portion of the crust. Roll the larger piece on a lightly floured work surface to a 17-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform pan. Trim the dough overhang to 1 inch. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dough-lined pan. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round. Place the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges of the doughs together to seal, then crimp the dough edges decoratively. Brush the beaten 1 large egg over the entire pastry top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake on the bottom shelf until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Release the pan sides and transfer the pizza to a platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition

Nutrition Serving Size
8
per serving
Calories
751
Amount/Serving % Daily Value
Carbs
56 grams
Protein
32 grams
Fat
44 grams
Saturated Fat
22 grams
Cholestrol
236 milligrams
Sodium
1071 milligrams
Fiber
3 grams
Sugar
2 grams
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9 reviews & comments

  • Author's avatar image
    Tasha - Apr 01
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★

    I’m in love with this recipe! I made it today for Easter, replacing the traditional recipe I make every year of my grandmothers (sorry Nonna!). Our traditional recipe uses cubed ham, but the sausage gives it such a nice texture, and the prosciutto melts into the ricotta and gives the flavor so much depth! The kids in the family that don’t normally like the “ham pie“ as they call it, came back for seconds! I made it easy on myself, and used two store bought pie crusts and a deep dish pie plate, and it turned out perfect!

  • Author's avatar image
    joy - Apr 01
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★

    Fantastic! My family loved it.

  • Author's avatar image
    Dawn - Apr 02
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★

    Can I make this ahead of time and then reheat? If so, at what temp and for how long?

  • Author's avatar image
    sonia - Apr 02
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★

    If I use mushrooms, can they be uncooked? can the spinach be fresh vs. frozen?

    Giadzy - Apr 02

    Hi Sonia! We recommend the mushrooms be cooked but either would work. If using fresh spinach, we recommend cooking it in a pan for a few minutes first until it’s wilted. This is done to remove some liquid first!

  • Author's avatar image
    Madeleine - Mar 15
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★

    Can I freeze the pie before baking? This way I can thaw it out the day before and bake it on Easter Day?

    Giadzy - Apr 02

    Yes! Cook it according to instructions but leave it in the springform pan. Refrigerate and cover, then when ready to serve, let it sit at room temp for an hour and then stick it in oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

  • Author's avatar image
    The Giadzy Kitchen - Apr 07
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★

    @JP! Yes! Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to keep it fresh as possible!

  • Author's avatar image
    JP - Apr 07
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★

    Can we freeze the rest of the dough ?

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