The Easiest Italian Easter Meat Pie ~ Pizzagaina (Pizza Rustica)
Italian Easter Meat Pie, also known as pizzagaina and pizza rustica, is a hearty, indulgent and decadent savory pie abundant with cured meats, cheeses and eggs in a buttery crust. It’s traditionally enjoyed in Italian households to signify the end of Lent and that Easter has arrived!
8 ounces basket cheese, (crumbled (or use more ricotta cheese))
4 large eggs, (beaten)
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground nutmeg
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, (small diced or pulled into shreds, drained of excess liquid)
4 ounces sharp provolone, (¼” dice (about 1 cup diced))
4 ounces genoa salami, (¼” dice (about 1 cup diced))
4 ounces hot soppressata, (¼” dice (about 1 cup diced))
4 ounces mortadella, (¼” dice (about 1 cup diced))
4 ounces pepperoni, (¼” dice (about 1 cup diced))
4 ounces prosciutto, (¼” dice (about 1 cup diced; use the prosciutto end; remove skin & excess fat))
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese ((optional))
2 9” frozen, deep dish pie crusts (or 9¾” frozen, regular-depth pie crusts, at room temperature)
Categories
Appetizer
Main Course
Brunch
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375℉. Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Put the ricotta in a strainer or fine mesh sieve propped over a bowl and let it drain out excess liquid for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature. (You can line it with cheesecloth if you have it.) Discard the liquid and transfer the strained ricotta to a large bowl and set aside. Drain out any excess liquid form the fresh mozzarella.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
Combine the ricotta, basket cheese (if including), eggs, black pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well.
Then, fold in all of the remaining meats and cheeses and stir until well-combined.
Carefully transfer the meat and cheese mixture to the 2 crusts, dividing it equally and flattening and smoothing the top with a spatula.
Place the filled crusts on the middle rack of a 375℉ preheated oven and set the timer for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, the pies should be done. They should still have a very slight jiggle to them, which will set once cooled, and golden-brown crusts. (If the crusts are getting too brown during the baking process, reduce the oven temperature to 325℉ and cook it a bit longer.)
Remove the pies from the oven and (assuming you are not serving them immediately) cool them at room temperature for about 2 hours. Then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator.
Enjoy pizza chiena at room temperature, chilled or warmed up–as you please! It is traditionally served on Easter morning or as an appetizer for Easter brunch. Buon Appetito!
Reviews
Toni Marie Van Buren on 2026-04-13 (5 stars): Your pizzagaina recipe last week was a hit with my Italian family who always breaks Hood Friday with pizzagaina!! Loved it!! Thanks!
Ann Rosenstein on 2026-03-25 (5 stars): This recipe is fantastic. I made it last year and everybody loved it. Using frozen pie crusts is genius and saves a lot of prep time. All your recipes that I've tried have been delicious...but this is one of my favorites. Thank you.
JoAnn Newman on 2026-03-21 (5 stars): This is an awesome recipe thank you.
Lisa M. on 2025-12-31 (5 stars): Love that this is a smaller version than my standard recipe. Mine always make more than our family can eat, even if I freeze some. This is definitely cheaper, too!
Melissa on 2025-04-16 (5 stars): Made this past weekend and my family loved it! Had enough filling for two 9 inch pies and I stuffed pizza dough for a Stromboli.
