Ingredients
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, cold and cut into cubes
3 large eggs, beaten
6 tbsp. ice water
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. baby spinach
8 large eggs
1 (16-oz.) container ricotta
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
4 oz. salami, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Egg wash, for brushing
Preparation
Step 1Make dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add butter and cut into flour with a pastry cutter or your hands until pea-size and some slightly larger pieces form. Add eggs and knead with your hands to combine, then add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together. Cut off ⅓ of the dough. Form both pieces of dough into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour. Step 2Meanwhile make filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 6 minutes. Add garlic and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, salami, and cooled sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Step 3Preheat oven to 375° and grease an 8" springform pan with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough into a 16" circle. Transfer to prepared pan, guiding dough upward and letting excess hang over the sides. Roll smaller piece of dough into a 12" circle. Pour filling over bottom crust, then top with smaller crust. Trim overhang to 1" then pinch crusts together and crimp.Step 4Cut slits in pie crust for steam to escape. Brush top with egg wash and bake until golden, 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then remove springform ring to serve.
We added eggs to our basic pie crust to make it sturdy enough to hold all of the filling together. This also makes it richer and flakier. Bonus: It’s a breeze to work with and rolls out beautifully. A spring form pan makes it much easier to slice and serve, and you can simply remove the sides. It’s a tall dish so you want a pan that is nice and deep. It’s called pizza rustica. So, does that mean it’s a rustic? Yes and no. First, the origins of the dish. Pizza rustica’s origins date back to the 17th-century, reportedly first served in the Italian countryside around Naples. In that sense, it is a “rustic” dish. But Team Delish wouldn’t call it rustic–we think it leans kind of fancy-ish. Can I make it ahead?We don’t recommend assembling it and leaving it in the fridge; it’s much better to cook it first. Wrapped tightly in plastic, the cooked and cooled pizza rustica can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 1 month. It’s best to refrigerate or freeze it in its pan. Once frozen, refrigerate it for 24 hours then bake according to the recipe.Have you made this recipe? If yes, YAY! Rate it below and let us know what you think.Editor’s Note: The introduction to this recipe was updated on March 22, 2022, to include more information about the dish.
