Pizza Rustica is a Southern Italian Easter classic: rich, savory, and packed with flavor. Made with ricotta, sharp cheeses, and a mix of cured meats like salami and mortadella, it's all wrapped in a flaky crust. Traditionally baked before Easter, it celebrates the end of Lent with indulgent ingredients and timeless family tradition.
Difficulty : medium
Prep time : 1 hour
Cook time : 1 hour and 15 minutes
Doses for : 4 /6 people
2 ½ cups OO flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup very cold salted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg, beaten
4 tablespoons cold water, or more as needed
1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese, drained
8 ounces Buffalo mozzarella, cubed
2 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7 large eggs, beaten
1 pound cooked, crumbled Italian sausage
¼ pound mortadella, cubed
¼ pound Salsichón Velta, or italian salame cubed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1. To make the crust: Combine flour, salt, butter, and olive oil in a large bowl. Blend butter into flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add the whisked egg and mix with a fork until egg is incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Add cold water and mix briefly with a fork. Switch to mixing with your hands and press mixture into a ball. You can add more water if it fells dry, one teaspoon at the time.
4.Transfer dough to a work surface and press into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour.
5. Cut the italian sausage, salsichón Velta , bufalo mozzarella e sun-dried tomatoes in small pieces. Grate some parmesan.
6. For the filling, combine ricotta cheese, Buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano cheese, salt, black pepper, beaten eggs, cooked Italian sausage, mortadella and Salsichón Velta salami and sun-dried tomatoes in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until extremely well combined; don't worry about over-mixing. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Rub a 9-inch springform pan with butter and dust with flour.
8. Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut off 1/3 of the dough and set aside for the top crust. Roll out the remaining dough for the bottom crust, using only as much flour as needed, into a 15-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick.
9. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared pan. Tuck the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch it. Remove any excess dough and use it to fill in where needed.
10. Transfer filling into the pan, press firmly into the edges to ensure there are no air pockets, and smooth out the top.
11. Roll remaining dough into a circle that's slightly wider than the pan. Roll dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to the pan. Position the top crust properly and press to seal it with the side edges.
12. Mix egg and water for egg wash together in a small bowl.
13. Brush egg wash on top of dough to moisten entire surface. Trim off excess dough if desired. Fold the side dough down from the pan edges onto the top crust and crimp edges with your fingertips until fully sealed. Brush once more with egg wash.
14. Place in the center of the preheated oven, and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake until top crust is a beautiful golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
15. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the ring and let cool another 15 minutes before slicing into wedges.
16. Buon appetito!
