Because You Asked-Pizza Rustica Recipe

So, after yesterday’s post featuring the video of our “meat pie” weekend, I was asked a bunch of times for the recipe. I asked my parents if they would be OK with sharing, and they said “no problem”. Thanks, mom and dad!

Well, here it is… BUT I must warn you, there will be math involved! Much like my recipe for making Sunday meat sauce, I have no idea how to make it in a small batch. The recipe below is good for between 18-21 pies put in to 7″ pans. The good news is that they freeze really well and make a great appetizer. I’ve even had a cold slice or two for lunch with a small salad.

So, here’s our version of pizza rustica. Enjoy

What you’ll need for the filling:

• 1 dozen sweet Italian sausages- cooked and cut in to 1/4″ pieces
• 3lbs of cooked ham- cut in to 1/4″ cubes
• 1/2 lb capicola (sweet or hot depending on taste)- cut in to 1/4″ pieces
• 1 stick of pepperoni – cut in to 1/4″ pieces
• 1lb provolone- cut in to 1/4″ pieces
• 2lbs mozzarella – cut in to 1/4″ pieces
• 6lbs ricotta
• 12 eggs
• 2 cups grated Pecorino Romano
• 2 “large” bunches of parsley (medium chop)*
• “Lots” of fresh ground pepper*
  (*sorry for the vague amounts for the last two items, but like most of our recipes, this is done by taste and feel)

1. Combine the first six ingredients in to a large mixing bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine
2. Combine the next five ingredients in to a separate bowl and thoroughly combine until everything is evenly blended.
3. Combine both bowls together in to a HUGE bowl and fold until evenly blended.

What goes in to the dough
To make it easier to fit in to the mixer, we make the dough in batches. The below dough recipe is enough for 1 “batch”. In order to accommodate the amount of filling above, you’ll need 3-4 batches.

PER “BATCH”

• 6 cups flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup of Crisco or other shortening
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Putting it all together:

This is where the assembly line comes in handy!

• Use Pam or some other kind of spray to coat disposeable aluminum foil pans. We use 7″ round pans that are probably 2-3″ deep.
• Separate dough in to balls so that it can be rolled out in to tops and bottoms. The bottoms will need to be large enough to line the pan completely, and the tops should be enough to cover the pies (this could take a little bit of trial and error)
• Roll out the dough to desired thickness. I like it pretty thin, but thick enough so it doesn’t fall apart when lining the pans.
• Line the pan with your rolled out “bottom” piece of dough
• Fill to the top with the above mixture of meats and cheeses. Be careful not to over fill. You don’t want meat pie explosion… or do you?
• Place the “top” piece of dough on the pie and use a bit of water on your fingertips to seal it to the “bottom” piece.
• Brush the top of the pie with an egg wash
• Use a knife to cut 4 slits in the top of the pie to let steam escape
• Bake in the oven @350 until the top is golden brown. Usually around 40 minutes.

When they come out of the oven, let them cool for a while until they are able to be handled and removed from the pan. Then place them on a cooling rack (This prevents the bottoms from getting soggy).

Personally, I like the pies better after they have been refrigerated, but feel free to chop in to them once they have cooled for 30 minutes or so.

Mangia!