Pizza rustica – Italian ham and egg pie
- medium
- 6–8
- 2 hours
This delicious pizza rustica recipe hails from Basilicata and is actually more of a pie than a pizza. Traditionally eaten at Easter, the flaky pastry has a filling of eggs, Italian cheeses and cured meats and is best eaten cold; the perfect picnic treat!
Pizza rustica, also known as pizza chiena, is an Easter recipe popular across the southern Italian regions of Campania, Puglia and Basilicata. Despite the name, you'll notice it's not so much a pizza but more a cross between a quiche and a pie. An egg-based filling of several Italian cheeses and cured meats is surrounded by a pizza dough crust (or pastry, depending on the region). Our version here hails from Basilicata and uses a lovely flaky shortcrust pastry. Traditionally the pie is prepared on Good Friday so it has time to cool, ready to be eaten over the Easter weekend.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
For the pastry
- 450g of flour, plus a little extra for dusting
- 225g of butter, chilled and cubed, plus an extra knob for greasing the pie dish
- 3 eggs
- salt
- 60ml of whole milk, (you may not need it all)
For the filling
- 250g of ricotta
- 50g of pecorino
- 150g of buffalo mozzarella, torn into small pieces
- 60g of ham, chopped into 1cm pieces
- 60g of prosciutto, chopped into 1cm pieces
- 8 eggs, whisked
- salt
- pepper
Method
Place the flour and salt in a food processor with the butter and pulse to a rubble. Add the milk and eggs and carry on mixing until the dough comes together. Tip out onto a floured surface and very lightly knead until it forms a solid ball – be careful not to overwork. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes
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