Italian Easter Pie
Italian Easter Pie, also known as Pizza Rustica or Italian Easter meat pie, is chock full of Italian meats and cheeses, and is traditionally served at noon the day before Easter to celebrate the end of Lent.
About a year after my grandma passed away, I was going through a stack of her old recipes when a newspaper clipping fell out from among the myriad of handwritten note cards that she used to write 95% of her recipes. The yellowed clipping was from 1994 and included a feature on a local ricotta cheese company, as well as a recipe for Italian Easter Pie.
I didn’t recall my grandma ever making it, but I took one look at the ingredients – over a pound of Italian meats and nearly three pounds of cheeses – and knew that everyone in my family would love it. I tucked the clipping away in a safe spot and earmarked it for the following Easter. When I finally tested the recipe we all devoured the pie (shocker!).
It’s definitely an Easter tradition worth starting!
Italian Easter Pie!
This pie is an Italian-Catholic recipe and is traditionally made the day before Easter and served at noon to signify the end of Lent and to break the fast.
Nothing says breaking a fast like pie crust and the biggest collection of Italian meats and cheeses I’ve ever seen in one recipe!
Speaking of cheese, Italian Easter Pie contains one special ingredient: basket cheese. It’s a specialty item that most stores only carry around the Easter holiday. The cheese is made and then formed inside of a plastic basket, which is how it gets its name.
It’s a soft cheese and very mild in flavor, tasting like a cross between ricotta and mozzarella. I bought mine at a local Italian grocery, however the next day, I saw an entire display of basket cheese in the cheese counter section of my local grocery store. If your supermarket is on the large size, you will probably be able to find it there, otherwise you can substitute any other soft, mild cheese of your liking.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
As you might imagine, this recipe yields a lot of filling. The recipe didn’t mention a specific pie plate size, so I used a regular 9-inch, but it was bursting at the seams.
I definitely recommend using a 9-inch deep dish or a 10-inch pie plate, and I’ve specified that in the recipe below. You can get away with a regular 9-inch but you could have some spillage in the oven, so be sure to place a rimmed baking sheet underneath to catch any drips.
I’ve loved unearthing old recipes of my grandma’s and making them in my kitchen.
My mom said this Italian Easter pie is one that my grandma only made a handful of times; while everyone loved it, she had her own “standard” Easter baking that probably took up most of her time.
What are some of your favorite traditional Easter recipes?
Four years ago: White Chicken Chili
Five years ago: Popovers
Seven years ago: Chocolate Mint Brownies
Ten years ago: Brioche Raisin Snails
Italian Easter Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Dough
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 13 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 7 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold, cut into pieces
- 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
For the Pie Filling
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) sweet Italian sausage
- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) pepperoni, chopped
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) hard salami, chopped
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) prosciutto, chopped
- 1 pound (453.59 g) fresh basket cheese, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 pound (453.59 g) ricotta cheese, drained
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) provolone cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
- Freshly grated black pepper
For the Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Make the Pie Crust: Add the flour, salt and sugar to the work bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with some flour. Cut the butter into the flour with five 1-second pulses. Add the shortening and continue pulsing (about four more 1-second pulses) until the flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas. Turn the mixture into medium bowl.
- Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of ice water over the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix; press down on the dough with the broad side of the spatula until the dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if the dough will not come together. Shape the dough into two balls with your hands, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten into 4-inch-wide disks. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare the Filling: While the dough is chilling, prepare the pie filling. Brown the sausage over medium heat in a large sauté pan, breaking it up into bite-size pieces as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink in the middle, adding the onions during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and onions to a large mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well until thoroughly combined.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the smaller piece of pie dough into a circle about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch regular pie plate or a 9-inch deep dish pie plate.
- Transfer the filling to the dough-lined pie plate. There is a lot of filling, so you'll want to pack it tightly into the pie dish, mounding it slightly in the center. Roll out the other dough round and place over the filling. Trim top and bottom edges to ½ inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits at right angles on dough top. With a fork, beat together the egg yolk and heavy cream, and brush over the top and crust of the pie.
- Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling through the slits on top, about 50 minutes. Let the pie sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Any leftovers should be refrigerated.
Notes
- If you cannot find basket cheese, you can substitute any other mild, semi-soft cheese in its place.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on March 26, 2013.
[photos by Whitney Wright]
How long is this Easter pie? Good in the refrigerator?
Looks great! Can I make the day before, refrigerate, then reheat next day?
WOW. This is the greatest recipe for this Pizza Chiena. Thank you Michelle for simplifying the process to create this yummy dish and especially for the wonderful crust, it is the best for this pie. I have eaten several versions of this pie when I was younger growing up with many Italian friends and later on in college at international food parties. My family made Pizza Rustica, which is a different pie with a different crust, also quite delicious. It is nice to now have another great recipe for a traditional Italian treat. I could not include a picture since I served this recently to several friends, thinking I’d snap a picture later but it all got eaten up so quickly I never go a picture!
Took me two hours to prepare. Over all the directions were easy to follow. It’s in the oven now in a round Corningware dish. I didn’t think my pie dish was big enough. It smells delish. Can hardly stand waiting 30 min for it to cool! I found basket cheese at price chopper, followed directions to a T.
CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE WITH OUT PIE CRUST…. I USUALLY ONLY MAKE A BOTTOM CRUST NO TOP ONE… USING PILLSBURY READY PIE CRUST.. WITH THIS CORONA VIRUS RUSH… THE STORES DO NOT HAVE THE PIE CRUST AVAILABLE… CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE WITHOUT USING PIE CRUST ON THE BOTTOM..AND IF SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST ..SHOULD I GREASE THE CORNING WARE I USE FOR IT?… PLEASE REPLY A.S.A.P. AS THIS IS FOR EASTER.
THANK YOU…
P.S. I AM SO EXCITED WITH YOU SITE… I REALLY DIDN’T EXPECT TO FIND THIS… BUT HERE YOU ARE…
VICTORIA
Our family travels a few hours drive for Easter, any advice for traveling with this bad boy?!
Hi Stephanie, It should be fine at room temperature for a few hours – I would transport in a cake/pie carrier.
My grandmother (from Ottati, Province of Salerno) made this when I was a child (i’m 71), and I absolutely loathed it. I could handle maybe 3 bites, but was forced to clean my plate. It is so rich it’s sickening. One of my worst food memories. Please don’t force this on your kids.
I was reading your recipe and you wrote that it was a lot of filing. I know my Aunt’s recipe is very similar and while her written recipe did not specify the pie pan size, I know she used to make it is a large spring form pan. Maybe that is what you should try next time.
My husband absolutely loved this! When I was making it I thought it might be too salty, but the egg really helps calm things down. I feel like it’s pretty much a deep quiche with delicious crust on top. I made the pie smaller (width wise) but deeper and it turned out absolutely fantastic. The day after leftovers were even better!
I made this for Easter and OMG!!! This pie is AMAZING!!
Hi Michelle. I was browsing through your recipes and came across this one. I’m an Italo-Australian woman now living in Italy. Just a little note on what you call basket cheese. In Italy it’s known as “Primo Sale” (first salt), i.e. the first stage of any cheese before being put away for maturing. So it’s basically a fresh cheese pressed into a plastic basket container and covered in salt to make the serum drain away. Regarding the pie, it’s typical of the southern regions of Italy. In and around Naples it’s called “Pizza Chiena” (kyena) that literally means “filled up pie”. There are also versions with rice or pastina (baby pasta) in the filling and is usually eaten cold especially during the traditional picnic on Easter Monday along with the “pastiera” the sweet wheat and ricotta pie. Happy Easter!
In the oven now!!
This pie looks absolutely delicious! I have to try this recipe soon!
I’ve already pinned. Can’t wait to make it for the family — I guess I’ll just make it for another holiday because we won’t be home for Easter this year. Easter is a floating holiday so there are times we just can’t get together. But I can guarantee that our family would love it!!
Looks delicious. Can you compare this pie crust to chicken pot pie or more of a pizza crust? Just trying to figure out if I can take any shortcuts.
It’s definitely like pie crust/chicken post pie, not pizza dough at all. Enjoy!
What a great dish for easter! Using cottage cheese in this recipe instead of ricotta won’t change the texture and the flavor of the pie, will it?
Hi Lita, It would certainly change the flavor, but the texture should work.
It’s great to run into another Pittsburgher.(I live on the Northside below Allegheny General Hospital).I look forward to visiting your blog often. Have you considered local Pittsburgh recipes. (Thanks for the Primanti Bros.Sandwich Recipe!!!)
So happy to hear from a fellow Pittsburgher! I do try to drop in some local favorites every once in awhile! If you’re looking for something specific, let me know!
Hi, Would it be ok to prepare this the day before and pop it in the oven the next day? Also would prepared
pizza dough work if I don’t have time to make
homemade dough or a different prepared pie crust? If not I’ll totally make homemade.
Thanks for sharing
Hello. I it ok to use already made pie crust
Hi Cheryl, I think that would be okay.
I think my family always called it “sausage pie.” It had chunks of ham and sausage in it. Our family always made it more like a quiche, without the top crust. My grams always made rice pie for Easter – with no crust.
Is this something I could assemble in the morning and pop in the fridge, and then bake at dinner time?
Hi Julie, Yes, you could do that!
Thank you Michelle, and I will let you know how it turns out. I purchased all the ingredients late last night, I can’t wait to try this. Thank you for your response. Happy Easter!
This sounds wonderful!!! Just wondering if this could be placed in layers instead of mixing everything? Going to try this this Easter.
Hi Linda, I’ve never tried it with layers so I couldn’t say for sure. Let me know if you try it!
I have been making this for many years. I use a 9 by 12 pan. I use cold cuts such as ham, pepperoni, salami and maybe supersata also with all the cheeses. It comes delicious! It’s not figure friendly but I only make it for Easter and give a lot to my family.
You did a nice job writing up this recipe…. especially explaining about basket cheese…. my daughter is trying to find basket/fresh Italian cheese around Richmond VA…. I am located south of Boston and can get it directly from a manufacurer but she can’t locate… ideas?
Hi Janet, I’ve actually only seen it on display at the regular grocery store right around Easter time. She might be able to find it year-round at an Italian grocery store, though.
I’m thrilled you posted this!! I have been searching for a recipe for Easter Pie! I think every Italian is keeping their recipe to themselves because I haven’t had much luck, so thanks for sharing!! I have a recipe for this, from my father’s Aunt, but I have been hesitant to try it because of the large quantities of ingredients and not having the correct pan, much like the trouble you ran into. I ended up buying a 4″ tall, 8″ diameter round cake pan to make [this same aunt’s recipe for] ricotta pie, which I also could tell would have never fit in a regular sized pie plate, and it worked! When this aunt passed away, we had found several “tall sided” baking tins (for lack of a better description), which we discarded because they were so well used. Looking back on it now, I know those must have been what she used for the Easter Pie! (and probably the ricotta pie, too.) I have been on the hunt for those tins ever since I inherited her recipe book and I can’t find anything like them anywhere.
Hi Michelle, that sounds delicious. I don’t remember if my grandmother used to make this but I will aske my mother and will try it out. Do you have a recipe for la pastiera, made with grain? or maybe soft wheat? and I don’t know what else. My grandma used to make it but we have no recipe…
Hi Pina, I don’t have a recipe for la pastiera, but I come across one, I will definitely share!
I found this whole thread so helpful and after reading it last night, I happened to come across this on Pinterest today! Believe it or not, I made a version of this at Xmas without even knowing what it was called. Thanks for solving the mystery! http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/245892273/italian-easter-pastiera-recipe/
I buy the pre cooked canned wheat at my Italian specialty store and follow the recipe on the label. It calls for cooking the wheat again with additions and then another step before putting in pie shell to bake. Time consuming but worth it if you like this. Try googling “easter wheat pie” and if I find my old wheat can label, I’ll post! Good luck.
This was fantastic today! Everyone had seconds :) Thank you for posting!
Also, I used my 9.5″ deep dish pie plate and no spillage.
This is an awesome recipe thank you…. I made mine like a pie but I also made one like a calzone….
I found the basket cheese at McKinnon’s in Portsmouth, NH. I used all butter in the crust, it came out great and my family loved it!?
Heart healthy it’s not…..but even better the next day. Use a deeper dish…..my grandmother used a soufflé dish.
how do you reheat? Thanks, Tom.
Hi Tom, I just used the microwave, but if you have a cast iron skillet, it would crisp up the bottom crust nicely!