Pizza Rustica – Pizza Chiena

The only thing that Pizza Rustica has in common with pizza is the name. It’s a savory meat and cheese pie baked in a sweet egg pastry, called pasta frolla. The dish’s origin is around Naples and it’s a traditional Easter dish.

Ingredients for the pasta frolla:

2 cups flour
2 egg yolks
pinch salt
8 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons ice water

2 tablespoons sugar

Ingredients for the filling:

2 egg yolks
3/4 pound ricotta or basket cheese (1 1/4 C)
1/4 pound prosciutto (cured or cooked), or salami, chopped coarsely 1/4 pound mortadella, chopped
1/4 pound mozzarella, cut up in small pieces
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
S&P

INSTRUCTIONS:

To prepare the pasta frolla:
Mix all ingredients; knead briefly, preferably on a cold surface. Shape into a ball, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

To prepare the filling:
Beat egg yolks in a bowl; add the ricotta/basket cheese, beat until creamy. Add the meats, cheese, S & P. Mix thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Thickly butter the inside of a 1 quart soufflé dish or ovenproof ceramic dish.

Assembly:
Cut off 1/3 of the pastry dough and, over wax paper, roll it into a circle large enough to line the bottom of the baking dish and come up a little on the sides. Fit into the dish. Cut off another 1/3 of the dough and roll into rectangular strips as wide as the dish is deep. Line the sides of the dish with these strips, overlapping if necessary. Smooth with your fingers and seal all the seams.

Pour all of the filling into the dish. Press lightly to remove air bubbles. Roll out the rest of the dough into a disk large enough to cover the top. Place it over the filling and press the edges tightly against the side lining to form a tight seal. Trim the dough where it comes up higher than 1/2 inch above the top of the pizza; fold the rest of it down. Smooth all rough connections with a moistened fingertip.

Place in the upper level of the oven and bake 45 minutes until the top has turned a golden brown. Do not open the door during this time. If after 45 minutes the crust is not brown enough, turn up the heat to 400°F and bake for another 6-8 minutes.

When cool, serve directly from the baking dish or unmold by inverting onto a plate. Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature. This also makes for a great picnic dish to serve on Easter Monday – Pasquetta!