Italian Easter Pie Ricotta Salami (Printable)

A savory Italian pie combining creamy ricotta, salami, and cheese baked in a tender pastry crust.

# What You Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

→ Filling

06 - 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, well drained
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
09 - 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
10 - 1 1/2 cups diced Italian salami
11 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Assembly

16 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch springform or deep pie pan with butter.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add eggs and enough cold water to form a soft dough. Knead briefly, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
03 - Roll out two-thirds of the pastry dough and line the prepared pan, allowing excess pastry to overhang the edges.
04 - In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mozzarella, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fold in diced salami until evenly distributed.
05 - Pour the ricotta mixture into the pastry-lined pan and smooth the top surface.
06 - Roll out remaining pastry and cut into strips. Arrange strips in a lattice pattern over the filling. Trim excess pastry and crimp edges to seal.
07 - Brush the lattice pattern and edges with beaten egg using a pastry brush.
08 - Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. If the crust browns too quickly, loosely cover the edges with aluminum foil.
09 - Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's savory and rich without being heavy, which somehow makes people eat more of it than they planned to.
  • You can make it ahead and serve it warm or cold, so it takes the stress out of holiday cooking.
  • The lattice top looks impressive enough to be a centerpiece, but the pastry is forgiving enough for a first attempt.
02 -
  • Drain your ricotta thoroughly, or accept that your pastry will be soggy no matter how long you bake it, and soggy pastry is the one thing this pie cannot recover from.
  • Don't skip the chilling step for the pastry dough, as it's the difference between a tender, flaky crust and one that shrinks and toughens during baking.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about pastry, you can use store-bought pie dough or puff pastry and no one will ever know, though homemade really does taste better.
  • Take the pie out when the center still jiggles slightly rather than waiting for it to be completely firm, since carryover cooking finishes the job while the pie cools and firms up beautifully.
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