Italian Easter Pie

By DreiFromBK

Made to feed a crowd, Italian Easter pie is a hefty construction of meats and cheeses wrapped in a flakey pastry crust. Sautéed broccoli rabe adds freshness and a touch of bitterness, and it wouldn’t be Italian without garlic. Make this at your next Easter brunch, lunch, dinner, or really any time of the year that you have a craving for melty cheese, Italian meats, and flakey-crust-perfection!

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12-ounces broccoli rabe, trimmed and chopped
• 8-ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 cups Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 8-ounces thinly sliced aged provolone cheese
• 6-ounces thinly sliced hot capicola
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Preparation

Step 1

DOUGH:
Whisk eggs and cold water together in a bowl; set aside.

Process flour and salt in your food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Scatter butter and shortening over top and pulse until only pea-size pieces remain, about 10 pulses. Add egg mixture and pulse until dough ball forms, about 20 pulses.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 20 turns. Divide dough into 1 (1-pound) ball and 1 (10-ounce) ball (roughly into two-thirds and one-third) and form each into a 6-inch disk.

Wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

FILLING:
Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add broccoli rabe, sausage, and salt, and cook, breaking up sausage with spoon, until sausage is cooked through and broccoli rabe is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to plate and let cool completely, about 15 minutes. Whisk ricotta, Pecorino, eggs, and black pepper together in large bowl.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Grease dark-colored 9-inch round cake pan. Roll a 1-pound disk of dough into a 14-inch circle on a well-floured counter.

Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto prepared pan, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Ease dough into pan by gently lifting and supporting the edge of dough with your hand while pressing into pan bottom and sides with your other hand. Leave overhanging dough in place.

Shingle half of provolone in the bottom of the dough-lined pan. Spread ricotta mixture over provolone. Scatter sausage mixture over ricotta mixture and press lightly into even layer. Shingle capicola over sausage mixture, followed by remaining provolone.

Roll remaining disk of dough into 10-inch circle on a well-floured counter. Brush overhanging dough of bottom crust with egg wash. Loosely roll 10-inch circle around rolling pin and gently unroll it over filling. Trim overhanging top and bottom doughs to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pan and pinch firmly together. Fold overhanging dough inward so folded edge is flush with the edge of the pan. Crimp dough evenly around edge of pan with tines of a fork.

Brush top of pie liberally with egg wash. Using paring knife, cut eight 1-inch vents in the top of the dough in a circular pattern. Bake until filling registers 150°F in the center of pie and crust is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Transfer pie to wire rack and let cool for at least 4 hours or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Remove pie from pan, slice into wedges, and serve.