Easter Italian Meat Pie | Easy Pizza Rustica

Italian Meat Pie – Ricotta-stuffed, sausage and broccoli rabe protein-loaded filling enveloped between a top and bottom crust.

A satiating and healthier alternative based on our traditional family Italian Easter meat pie recipe, also known as a few other names that you might recognize and I’ll be using throughout this recipe post: Pizza Rustica, Pizza Piena, Pizza Chiena, and Pizza Gian (Pizzagaina).

Why You’ll Love This Italian Meat Pie

• Pizza Rustica is great for breakfast or lunch & it fulfills what is known as your traditional Italian Easter offerings without a lot of fuss
• you’ll have a fresh spin on ingredients including nutrient-loaded broccoli rabe (rapini)
• ricotta cheese is high in protein and makes a great meat pie when combined with other ingredients
• once complete, it truly proves that baking Italian recipes do not have to be hard
• the resulting Pizza Rustic is truly a stacked, stuffed layered feast

Equipment Needed To Make Easter Meat Pie

• A pie pan (with a bottom release or a spring pan)* (if you are making the pie crust only)
• large mixing bowl
• a stand mixer (or by hand)
• rolling pin
• parchment paper
• Spatula
• measuring cup
• Wooden Spoon
• Frying pan
• knife

You can purchase premade shells so that you do not have to make the pie crust dough for this recipe.

If you choose not to make the dough, you will need a top crust, so you may want to purchase premade rolls of dough and then place them in your own springform pans.

Ingredients for Your Italian Meat Pie

• Water
• Salt
• Flour
• Yeast
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Hot or Sweet Sausage (casing off) so bulk is better
• Cooked Broccoli Rabe Recipe here >>Rapini
• Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
• Pecorino Romano
• Ricotta Cheese
• Egg Yolks
• Eggs
• breadcrumbs

How To Make An Italian Meat Pie With Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Now I am going to share how to prepare the pie crust, the Easter meat, the ricotta cheese mixture, and all the other ingredients so that you can bake your own homemade, golden brown stuffed, Easter meat pie!

Step 1: Create the pie pastry shell for the Italian Easter Sausage Pie

Using a large bowl, you will be combining flour, salt, beaten eggs, vegetable shortening, and cold butter together with ice water to create the pastry.

You’ll find it easiest to use a stand mixer and the paddle to create this pastry dough, it is easier than mixing it by hand, but you can do that as well.

Step 2 happens once the ingredients are combined, you will be trading out the mixer paddle for the dough hook.

Allow the hook to briefly knead the pie crust (pastry dough), and when it is ready the dough will have elasticity and a seemingly smooth appearance.

Step 3 is where you will place the freshly prepared pastry dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow it to rest for 1 hour where it will double in size.

While the pastry dough is doubling you will begin working on the filling.

Step 4: Prepping the Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

You should already have prepared the cooked broccoli rabe, using the simple recipe above, set that aside.

Next, you will use your frying pan to fully cook the uncased sausage with the garlic.

You are browning the sausage until it is fully cooked, and breaking it up as you are turning it in the frying pan.

Once you are done, the cooked sausage and garlic should be crumbled combined and you will remove it from the frying pan and set it aside.

Step 5: Preparing The Ricotta Egg Filling

In a large mixing bowl, place your eggs in and beat them until they are a bit fluffy, but not crazy, so about 2 minutes on medium-high.

Now, add in the drained ricotta cheese, and mix to thoroughly combine, it will look like a thick and creamy filling.

Add in the pecorino romano cheese as well as the shredded mozzarella filling and blend again.

Step 6 is where it all comes together.

Into the ricotta egg filling mixture, you will add the sausage and the broccoli rabe, and mix well.

Step 7: Cut the pastry for the Pizza Rustica

Preheat your oven and butter your spring pan .

Place parchment paper down on your counter (or not)

Lightly dust your parchment paper or countertop with flour.

Remove the pastry dough from the covered bowl.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces: 1/3 and 2/3 because you will need more for the bottom than the top crust.

Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough into what should be a 16″ if you are using a traditional 9 1/2″ Springform Pan.

Take this portioned dough and place it into the prepared springform pan, allowing it to drape over without tearing.

Next, you’ll want to somewhat pinch your draping dough (see my photo).

Step 8: Ricotta Egg Filling and the Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

You’ll now add your prepared, combined filling into the pie crust cavity.

Step 9: Creating the top crust for your Easter Meat Pie

Using the remaining dough (1/3 portion) you will roll this out in the same way as you did the bottom crust and you will roll it into a 9″ round top.

Once you have it formed, place it on top of the newly formed Pizzagaina and pinch to close.

Now, brush it with an egg yolk.

Step 10: Baking the Pizza Rustica

Place the prepared Pizza Rustica on a baking tray (in case of overflow) and place it on the middle rack.

Bake for about 1 hour, then remove to cooling racks to rest before serving.

What To Serve With Your Italian Easter Sausage Pie

The flexibility of this particular meat pie is amazing and truly depends on the time within which you are serving it.

For instance, if you are serving this at Easter, you’ll want to serve it differently than if you serve it during Christmas and naturally if you are using it for a Sunday brunch.

Here are a few ideas of what to pair this meat pie with, once you have made it, baked it, and are ready to serve it!

Possible Sides You May Want To Consider

Rosemary potato wedges are a great addition to this, as a side, and make it a complete meal IMO.

Also, when you serve this fabulous hearty meat pie for breakfast you may want to consider fresh citrus on the side or pear sliced and drizzled with honey and almonds.

A Dandelion mixed salad is also an amazing side as it offers a bitterness that is countered by the sweet taste of the ricotta in the Pizza Rustica.

Popular Substitutions and Additions

• You can eliminate the pie dough and opt for the refrigerated premade, do note that using a frozen pie shell is not recommended as you do need a top pastry dough to top off your meat pie and you won’t have that if you purchase a frozen one.
• Instead of sausage and broccoli rabe, you could sub in a sauteed swiss chard or spinach
• If you prefer a more traditional Italian Easter meat pie, you might consider using Italian cold cuts, such as Mortadella, Sopressata, etc. rather than sausage (sweet or spicy)

How To Reheat & Store Italian Meat Pie

There are no mysteries here, as far as reheating and storing go, and I am going to share this with you so that if you have leftovers you can safely store them!

Best Way To Store Pizza Rustica Leftover

I suggest cutting the leftovers, into wedges and transferring each leftover slice to an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How Long Will Italian Meat Pie Last In the Refrigerator?

You can store this meat pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, I don’t suggest any longer, but I will clue you in as to what to do if you need to store it any longer.

Can I Freeze Italian Easter Sausage Pie?

Yes, you can freeze this for up to 6 months, providing you wrap it securely in either an airtight container or freezer zip bags, taking care to force all the air out of the storage bags.

How To Reheat Italian Easter Sausage Pie

All that you have to do to reheat your leftover slices/wedges of the meat pie, is to simply portion out the piece you want, and place it in the microwave for 1-minute increments (as microwaves vary in temperature)/

Pizza Rustica | Italian Easter Sausage Pie FAQs

Other Italian Recipes You’ll Love

• Cherry Amaretti
• Amaretti
• Biscotti
• Italian Biscotti Regina

Don’t Forget To Come Back And Let Me Know How Your Italian Meat Pie Turned Out

This recipe has been in my Sicilian-rooted Italian family for generations and I am so happy to share it with you.

My Nonna used to make this on all the holidays with Easter being the one I remember the most!

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