Italian Easter Pie /pizza Rustica (aka "ham Pie")

Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 pastry for double-crust pie, 10 inch (or you can make the "yeast dough pie crust ")
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves lard or 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (1/4 ounce) envelope yeast
• 1 cup water
• 2 lbs sweet italian sausage links
• 1/4 lb prosciutto, chopped
• 1/2 lb cooked ham, diced
• 2 lbs ricotta cheese
• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh italian parsley (flat leaf)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese or 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 directions for making and using the yeast dough crust: in a cup, mix yeast and warm water together.
• 2 place flour on a pastry board, add leaf lard (or butter), salt, pepper and yeast/water mixture.
• 3 work together well until dough forms, continue working the dough until it is elastic and smooth.
• 4 place dough in a deep dish, cover and allow it to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
• 5 when dough has risen, cut into 2 pieces.
• 6 stretch one piece to fit into a greased 9 x 2 1/2-inch round cake pan.
• 7 preheat oven to 375°f.
• 8 prepare filling as described below (steps #19 to #22).
• 9 after filling the dough lined pan, stretch second piece of dough and place over the filling, pressing the edges closed.
• 10 if there is a lot of excess dough left on the edge, carefully trim some, but leave enough to flute the sealed edge.
• 11 (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.
• 12 prepare pastry and line a 10 inch pie pan.
• 13 prick dough with a fork, and sprinkle with a bit of flour.
• 14 prepare filling as described below (steps #19 to #22).
• 15 pour mixture into pastry lined pie tin and cover with top crust.
• 16 leave about a 1/2 to 3/4-inch overhang.
• 17 fold dough under and back, and flute edge.
• 18 cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
• 19 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.
• 20 in a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, salt and pepper; add eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition.
• 21 add cooked sausage, prosciutto, ham, parsley and grated cheese to ricotta mixture.
• 22 blend well.
• 23 fill dough lined pan with mixture.
• 24 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.
• 25 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.
• 26 pie can be served either warm or cold.
• 27 slices can be reheated in the microwave.
• 28 for yeast dough crust: bake the pie in a preheated 375°f oven for 45-50 minutes.
• 29 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.
• 30 pie can be served either warm or cold.
• 31 slices can be reheated in the microwave.