Pizzagaina

Depending on what part of Italy your family comes from, and the dialect spoken, you might hear it called any of the following: Pizzachiena, Pizza Chena, or even Pizza Rustica. A rough translation in all cases is “full pie” with the latter being “rustic pie.” Pizza Cena would mean “dinner pie.” There is also another version called Pizza Ripiena that is thinner and more of a double stuffed crust pizza, and definitely not as thick as the Pizzagaina “full” pies. Never thought about it before, but maybe they are called “full” because that’s how they’ll make you feel.

Pizzagaina is an Italian Easter Pie that is much loved and packed with of all the Italian flavors you love like mortadella, salami, mozzarella and pecorino Romano. Perfect for picnics, and buffet dinners this hearty pie that is a celebration of good food! The name of this pie doesn't actually describe it accurately. This Italian Easter Pie is known as pizzagaina but also goes by many different names - Pizza Rustica, Pizza Ripiena, Pizza Chiena which means filled or stuffed pizza and originates in the Naples area. It was when the Italian immigrants moved around the world particularly America, that this pie became "pizzagaina".

Traditionally this pie is prepared on Good Friday to be eaten on Easter Sunday to break the lent fast. Or taken to a picnic on Easter Monday. Preparing this dish in advance means that the flavor have a chance to develop and beautifully! The majority of Italians and Italian-Canadians are Catholic, and as such observe certain customs during the season of Lent, such as not eating meat on Fridays, or abstaining from meat for the entire 40 days of Lent.

Pizza Chiena, sometimes pronounced “Pizzagaina,” is a southern Italian savory “pie” made with a variety of cheese, cold cuts, and eggs baked within a bread crust. There are many different recipes for this traditional Italian specialty, but this is the one I prefer. You can play around with the fillings as you see fit and use your own favorite cold cuts or cheeses, or even add some grilled vegetables if you like, though vegetables are not traditionally used. 

INGREDIENT NOTES

There are a few ingredients that are necessary for this pizzagaina but much of the filling is adaptable to your taste and what you have. You'll need the usual pie crust ingredients plus fresh ricotta and large eggs then it's your choice. In this pie I have used:-

coppa or capicollo

mortadella

prosciutto

salami

mozzarella

2 (16 ounce) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese

grated pecorino Romano

INSTRUCTIONS

Firstly, the pizza dough needs to be made and rested while the filling is prepared. Then the pizzagaina can be assemble and baked. Keep in mind that this pie should cool after baking for about two hours before serving. Otherwise bake the day before and serve cold.

Begin by pulsing 450 grams (3 ½ cups) of flour along with 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar. This will mix the dry ingredients. Next, add 2 sticks of cold butter cubes and pulse for about 20-30 seconds or until the mix is well incorporated but still crumbly. You should have small coarse pieces and a grainy mix. Next, add 2 eggs and ⅓ of a cup of milk. Pulse again until a loose mess of dough is formed. Place the dough onto a work surface and knead for a few seconds only. You just want to bring the dough together so that it forms a stuck-together mass. Cut into two pieces. Make one large ball with ⅔'s of the dough and the other smaller one with the remaining dough. The larger will be used for the base of the pie and the smaller will be used for the top. Wrap the balls tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before using. The dough can be made up to 1 day ahead of time.

THE FILLING

Cut into ¼-inch cubes 1 cup each of prosciutto, mortadella, and salami. Cut the same size cubes for ¾ cup each of mozzarella and provolone. Grate ¾ cup of Pecorino Romano. Note: Use any meats and cheeses you like. Salami, prosciutto, capicollo, ham, and even turkey work well. In a very large bowl combine 2 pounds of overnight or well-drained ricotta, 7 eggs, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, and a ½ teaspoon of fresh black pepper. Whisk well until fully incorporated. Add all the meats and cheeses to the bowl. Mix well and set the Easter pie filling aside. Remove the dough from the fridge about 10-15 minutes before rolling to prevent it from cracking. Preheat the oven to 375 F and set one rack to the lowest level and the second to the middle level. Grease a (9 by 3") springform pan with butter or lard. Top tip: Placing the bottom of the springform pan with the cup side down will make it easier to remove the pie after baking. Roll out the larger ball on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. Roll the circle to approximately ¼-inch thick and about 15-inches round. Holding the dough on your rolling pin makes the next step easier. Bring the dough to the pan and center it so that it will fall evenly into the pan. Gently place the dough into the pan. Tuck in the edges so that the dough completely fits the interior of the pan. Trim off the excess overhanging dough. Note: If you have any holes just use some of the trimmed dough to make any required patches. Pour the filling into the pie pan, leaving at least a ¼-inch unfilled to accommodate expansion.  If needed, use a spatula to level out the filling. Roll out the second smaller ball to a circle a bit larger than the pie pan. Cut into 1-inch wide strips for a lattice. Alternatively, you can forgo the lattice and just cover the pie and cut a slit for venting. The choice is yours. Place the strips in a lattice formation about 1-inch apart. Make sure to overlap the dough so that the strips stay down while baking. Use your fingers or a fork to press the strips down into the corners so they stick. If needed a touch of water can be used to "glue" the strips to the sides. Cut off any excess dough. Beat 1 egg yolk with 1-2 teaspoons of water and brush the top of the pie crust. Bake for 20 minutes on the lowest rack, then move the pan up to the middle rack and continue baking. Full bake time will be approximately 60-70 minutes. Check the pie at the halfway point and if it looks like it's getting too brown cover loosely with foil. Once golden brown, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. After baking, let the pie cool for 2 hours before removing the sides of the springform. The pie can be eaten the same day though it's better to let it sit overnight wrapped in the refrigerator. Place the pizzagaina in the oven at 350 F for a few minutes the next day. The heat will slightly melt the butter and allow easy removal of the bottom pan plate. 

Tip

Pizzagaina is traditionally eaten on Easter morning. It's perfectly fine to eat cold or slightly warmed up.