Pizza Rustica/Neapolitan Easter Pie Ingredients?

[NYCgrrl]

Making a pie for the first time and of course reading way too many recipes and techniques
Now the toma, pot cheese, ricotta question comes up. I can get fresh ricotta but not the other two cheeses. If I drain the ricotta is that a good approximation?

 

[tony67]

Just a bit of warning - I did make this last year - Pizzagaina- but got all the ingredients as one of my kid works in an Italian specialty shop.

Pizzagaina can be very salty with all those meats so consider that when you are making it. I probably used too much meat.

As for the basket cheese - if you cant find basket cheese Ive seen various comments:
"If you cannot find it, just substitute it with additional ricotta cheese."
"farmer's cheese is a good substitute"
"If you cannot find basket cheese, you can substitute any other mild, semi-soft cheese in its place"

Draining it is also probably a good idea as you suggested.

 

[NYCgrrl]

@tony67 - how wonderful to have an “in” at a local Italian speciality shop!
I’d be in 7th heaven

Unfortunately I haven’t the wherewithal to get more than the fresh ricotta. Already showed my home attendant where to buy it so no sense in confusing her with a slightly different product; got to pick your battles.

Thanks for taking the time to school me

 

[mjkacmom]

Deli’s here sell basket cheese this time of year. Fortunately they all sell pizzagaina too, so I will buy that instead!

 

[LuvOrlando]

My family recipe, although I tend to just use a pre-baked pie plate and conserve my energy for the sweet Grain Pie and Struffoli, which I am probably going to make because yum.

I would not add any salt to the mix at all, as @tony67 experienced, it can get way too salty. Also, proscuitto is wonderful but it is way too expensive to me to drop into a pie and is reserved for an antipasto tray. Instead, for the meats I generally go to the deli counter and ask them to slice me a square ham about 1/4 inch thick then I cut it up into rough squares and drop it in. I also get slices of Capicola, Salami, and some regular American Cheese (because I like it) cut them up into the same general size, add some chunks of fresh mozzarella and I'm done.

To be honest, the ricotta and egg base is an outstanding way to make any sort of meal like pie and works fine with spinach and feta, plain ham and cheese or whatever you feel like. The ricotta gives it a nice flavor and makes it a bit more filling, can add some milk too
.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Besides the ricotta cheese, our family's version of Easter Pie uses 8 ounces of cubed Swiss cheese and a pound of fresh mozzarella. Seems to work well.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Deli’s here sell basket cheese this time of year. Fortunately they all sell pizzagaina too, so I will buy that instead!

I had no idea you could buy the filling already made?!? What a timesaver .

Besides the ricotta cheese, our family's version of Easter Pie uses 8 ounces of cubed Swiss cheese and a pound of fresh mozzarella. Seems to work well.

There are so many variations and it seems to depend on what are the specialities of different regions. I can well see how Swiss cheese aka Emmentaler would work as it’s commonly used in the Italian section of Switzerland.. I’m using mozzarella too.

Originally, I was going to use a Pillsbury pie crust but decided to try making the crust since this is a new dish for me.

 

[amcnj]

The two Easter pies I grew up with were the pizzagaina/meat pie, and sweet/ricotta pie. The first had ricotta, eggs, salami, prosciutto, pepperoni,Parmesan,mozzarella and a few spices.

The latter had ricotta, sugar, eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, and orange rind.

When I later worked about 80 miles south of here, two favorites there were rice pie and wheat pie. A co-worker’s mother managed a local bakery so I got to sample them every year!

 

[mjkacmom]

I had no idea you could buy the filling already made?!? What a timesaver .

There are so many variations and it seems to depend on what are the specialities of different regions. I can well see how Swiss cheese aka Emmentaler would work as it’s commonly used in the Italian section of Switzerland.. I’m using mozzarella too.

Originally, I was going to use a Pillsbury pie crust but decided to try making the crust since this is a new dish for me.

No, it’s just the cheese, I just called a local bakery about ordering the completed pie, it’s a little pricey at $55 for 3 pounds, but easier than making (and I’d be nibbling on the meat and cheese the whole time).

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Originally, I was going to use a Pillsbury pie crust but decided to try making the crust since this is a new dish for me.

Oh, I'm using ready-made pie crusts. This is my first time making this (my late Uncle always made it) and I've never made pie crust from scratch before. Don't want to complicate things more than they already are, and make myself even more nervous about how it's going to turn out!

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Made the Easter Pie. It smells amazing, but I erred on the side of caution and filled it too much rather than have it be not enough, so the vents split open on top:

Live and learn. It's still setting up nicely and just needs to be refrigerated until tomorrow before we can try it.

 

[NYCgrrl]

It smells amazing, but I erred on the side of caution and filled it too much rather than have it be not enough, so the vents split open on top

Looks like a modified lattice top to me. That’s what I’d tell anyone if asked

The dough is made and resting in-the fridge. Tomorrow I’ll mix up the cheese filling.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Made the Easter Pie. It smells amazing, but I erred on the side of caution and filled it too much rather than have it be not enough, so the vents split open on top:

Live and learn. It's still setting up nicely and just needs to be refrigerated until tomorrow before we can try it.

Ummm yum, is that thing gonna make it to Easter in your house?

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Ummm yum, is that thing gonna make it to Easter in your house?

LoL-I went down this morning and opened the fridge to check that it had set properly, and there was already a big chunk missing. When my late uncle was made this pie Easter week he always doubled the recipe so we could eat one and still have one for the holiday.

 

[LuvOrlando]

LoL-I went down this morning and opened the fridge to check that it had set properly, and there was already a big chunk missing. When my late uncle was made this pie Easter week he always doubled the recipe so we could eat one and still have one for the holiday.

Yep, I will be shocked if it makes it past tomorrow, might be gone tonight if word of the yumminess spreads