Italian Easter Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Blend 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie dish. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the dish, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter.
• Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the pie and serve.

Steps:

• For the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and water; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse a couple of times. Add the chilled butter and pulse about 10 times until pea-size pieces remain. Add the egg mixture and pulse 15 to 20 times until a dough ball forms. Place the dough ball on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 minute. Divide into 2 balls, wrap each ball with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: While the dough is resting, whisk together the ricotta cheese, salt, some pepper and 6 of the eggs in a medium bowl and set aside. In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add the oil and brown the sausage, breaking up the pieces while it's cooking, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the sausage on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving behind any fat. Add the asparagus and cook until beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter.
• On a well-floured counter, roll out each dough ball into a thin 14-inch circle. Cover one circle with plastic wrap until ready to use. Loosely roll the other dough circle around a rolling pin and unroll over the prepared cake pan, letting the excess hang over the side. Press the dough gently into the sides of the pan so there is no gap between the pan and the dough. Shingle the salami over the bottom of the dough, creating an even layer. Then, add the asparagus in an even layer on top of the salami. Next, add half of the egg mixture and spread it out evenly, then top with the capicola in an even layer. Layer in the sausage and top with the remaining egg mixture, then finally the provolone cheese.
• Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush the outside rim of the dough with the egg wash. Add the remaining dough circle to the top of the pie and cut off the excess dough. Press both circles together to create a seal. Brush the remaining egg wash over the entire top and slice a couple slits in the top of the pie. Bake until golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Directions for making and using the yeast dough crust: In a cup, mix yeast and warm water together.
• Place flour on a pastry board, add leaf lard (or butter), salt, pepper and yeast/water mixture.
• Work together well until dough forms, continue working the dough until it is elastic and smooth.
• Place dough in a deep dish, cover and allow it to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
• When dough has risen, cut into 2 pieces.
• Stretch one piece to fit into a greased 9 x 2 1/2-inch round cake pan.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare filling as described below (steps #19 to #22).
• After filling the dough lined pan, stretch second piece of dough and place over the filling, pressing the edges closed.
• If there is a lot of excess dough left on the edge, carefully trim some, but leave enough to flute the sealed edge.
• (I like to brush the crust with a bit of beaten egg before baking, to give it a gloss.) Directions for using a regular pie crust dough: Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Prepare pastry and line a 10 inch pie pan.
• Prick dough with a fork, and sprinkle with a bit of flour.
• Prepare filling as described below (steps #19 to #22).
• Pour mixture into pastry lined pie tin and cover with top crust.
• Leave about a 1/2 to 3/4-inch overhang.
• Fold dough under and back, and flute edge.
• Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Directions for making the Filling: Cut sausage into small pieces (or remove from casings and crumble), place in frying pan and brown lightly in 2 Tablespoons of water.
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, salt and pepper; add eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition.
• Add cooked sausage, prosciutto, ham, parsley and grated cheese to ricotta mixture.
• Blend well.
• Fill dough lined pan with mixture.
• Directions for Baking: For Regular Pie Crust: Bake the pie for 15 minutes in preheated (400°) oven, lower oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for 45-50 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and let pie "settle" for about 10 minutes before slicing if you are going to serve it warm; otherwise let pie cool and refrigerate when cooled.
• Pie can be served either warm or cold.
• Slices can be reheated in the microwave.
• For Yeast Dough Crust: Bake the pie in a preheated 375°F oven for 45-50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let pie "settle" for about 10 minutes before slicing if you are going to serve it warm; otherwise let pie cool and refrigerate when cooled.
• Pie can be served either warm or cold.
• Slices can be reheated in the microwave.

Steps:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees and line 2 9" Pie Pans with the crusts, refrigerate and reserve.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the next 6 ingredients with a large spoon until thoroughly combined (no electric mixers here, it'll ruin the rice).
• Divide filling between 4 prepared pie crusts, sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake about 45 minutes or until filling is set in the middle (no longer giggling).
• Allow to cool completely before serving, this actually tastes best when refrigerated overnight.

Steps:

• CRUST PREPARATION: Mix flour and salt together, cut in shortening with 2 knives or pastry cutter.
• Add beaten eggs to flour mixture slowly, incorporating very well.
• Add milk (additional liquid if necessary) to hold mixture together as it is kneaded.
• Shape pastry into two balls.
• Chill for 30 minutes or until ready to begin making the pie.
• PREPARATION FOR FILLING: Remove the sausage meat from the casings; set aside in small bowl.
• In another small bowl, place all the mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes; set aside.
• In another small bowl, place all the provolone, cut into 1/4-inch cubes; set aside.
• Do the same for the ham and salami and proscuitta; set aside keeping all the ingredients separate.
• Boil dozen eggs; cool, peel, cut into quarters and set aside.
• Make EGG WASH:In a blender, add 10 eggs, parsley, 1/2 cup grating cheese.
• Blend; set aside.
• This will be used between layers of ingredients as the"holding agent" to keep all the ingredients together.
• TO ASSEMBLE PIE: Roll chilled pastry on floured board to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Make into 2 large circles to fit into a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate and to cover.
• Better to do this in glass; it cooks more evenly and you can see if your bottom has fully cooked.
• Fit the pastry into the pan and up the sides.
• Begin by layering the quartered hard boiled eggs as the first layer on bottom, about 1-inch apart from eachother.
• In between each quartered slice of egg, with your fingers, place a small piece of sausage meat; going around the whole first layer of the pie.
• Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese all around.
• Next, a thin layer of mozzarella; (one piece high), Next a thin layer of proscuitta; Next a thin layer of provolone cheese; Next a thin layer of salami; Next a thin layer of boiled ham.
• Pour 1/2 cup of your egg wash over the first layer.
• Begin again with your quartered eggs; alternating the quarters"in between" the quarters of the first layer.
• Layer each ingredient as you did on the first layer and so on.
• Proceed with your second layer; again egg wash poured over the layer, etc.
• Depending on the depth of the pie pan, the size of your cut ingredients, you may have two or three layers, but don't fill it beyond the rim of the dish.
• Cover the last layer with another piece of pastry dough and crimp together firmly"gluing" if necessary to keep things together as the pie expands.
• Cut a steam hole on top and brush pastry with a tablespoon of milk (just to enhance the beauty of this meal for presentation) to form a glaze.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for one hour or until the pie crust is golden on the top and ingredients are bubbly.
• The aroma will tell you the pie is done!
• If you filled the pie too much with egg wash or ingredients, it may boil over.
• It is a good idea to place a sheet of aluminum foil beneath the pie in the oven to catch any drips.
• Serve the pie warm.
• Keep Refrigerated; leftovers can be reheated nicely in a toaster oven or a microwave for 1 minute.

Steps:

• Preheat over to 325 degrees.
• Mix Ricotta cheese in large mixing bowl and add the eggs one at a time until all incorporated.
• Stir in Mozarella Cheese, Ham, Hard Salami, Prosciutto, Parmesan Cheese & Provolone Cheese. Mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the pie shells evenly, and smooth the top of each.
• Take the remaining pie crusts and place on top of each pie. Crimp the edges to make sure you seal them well.
• Cut 3 or 4 vent holes in the top, to allow steam to escape while cooking. I usually try to cut leaf shapes and then use the cut out and place it on the top of the pie in a design.
• brush top of pie with egg white.
• Bake in oven for 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown.
• Cool and serve when room tempature. You dont want to serve it hot as the cheeses will make it real runny and messy. Allow to come to room tempature before putting in refrigerator.