Pizza rustica is Easter meat pie in Italy. This rich ricotta and meat pie is traditionally served at Easter but is great year-round.
For the Pie Crust – 2 ½ cups all purpose flour – ½ cup cold butter, cubed (one stick) – 2 tablespoons olive oil – 1 large egg – 1 teaspoon kosher salt – 4 tablespoons cold water For the Filling – 15 ounces ricotta cheese – 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about a cup) – 2 ounces shredded parmesan (about ¼ cup) – 4 large eggs, beaten – 6 ounces ham, diced (about 1 ½ cups) – 2 ounces salami, chopped (about ½ cup) – 2 ounces prosciutto, chopped (about ½ a cup) – ½ teaspoon kosher salt – ¼ teaspoon pepper For Brushing the Crust – 1 large egg, beaten
Pre-heat oven to 425. Split the dough into two thirds for the bottom crust and one-third for the top.
Roll larger dough into a circle on lightly floured surface. Line the inside and bottom of a greased springform pan with dough. Pan gaps can be filled with scraps.
Fill the crust with the ricotta filling and set it aside. A spatula can be used to smooth and balance out the mixture.
Roll the remaining pie crust circular. Put over ricotta. Roll the side crust over the pie's top crust, trimming any overhang. Brush a beaten egg on the pie and cut a "x" to release steam.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees after placing the pie on the center rack.
Bake 75 minutes for golden crust. Remove the collar after five minutes of cooling and allow set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.