For the pastry dough
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup lard [1/3 package of Tenderflake]
1 egg yolk
2/3 cups milk
Egg white for brushing pastry dough

For the filling
2 cups ricotta [or a 475g container of ricotta]
1/4 cup prosciutto or salami, cut into small pieces
4 eggs
1 cup mozzarella, diced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup provolone, diced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper

Stir flour and sugar together; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Mix egg yolk and milk. Add to the prepared flour.

Work into a pastry dough.

Shape pastry dough into two balls, one larger than the other. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the filling.

Add the eggs to the ricotta and mix.

Add the grated Parmesan, diced provolone and mozzarella to the cheese mixture. Mix well together.

Add the chopped up prosciutto (or salami) to the cheese mixture. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper (If the prosciutto is salty put just a pinch of salt).

Unwrap the smaller ball of dough and roll it out on a pastry board to about 1/8 inch thick. Either lightly flour the board (this is the conventional way) and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Or, one can cover the entire pastry board with plastic wrap, put the dough on it, and then cover the dough with a large piece of plastic wrap (It has to be big enough to cover the rolled out dough), and then roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using plastic wrap facilitates the process of rolling out the dough, so much so, that even those who swear they cannot make a pie crust (I was one!) can do it.

Place the rolled out dough in a pie container or springform pan (Personally, I prefer a ceramic container because the dough is less likely to burn; besides, it's prettier than a springform pan, and therefore the pie can rest in it, and be served directly from it.)

Once the dough is placed in the container, add the cheese filling.

Roll out the larger dough to 1/8 inch thick, and then use it to cover the pie. Seal the edges.

Brush the top pie crust with beaten egg white.

Sprinkle sugar on it.

Vent the top of the pie -- two slits (a square cross) in the middle of the tart looks nice, and releases the air quite nicely.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for half an hour; reduce to 350 degrees and keep baking for another half hour or so.

The pie is ready when the cheese is cooked, and the pie crust is a nice golden color.

Cool.

Serve at room temperature, or if you prefer, reheat the pie for three to four minutes before serving so the crust is warm, but the cheese remains solid.

Even though Italians call this recipe "pizza rustica" it is obviously not a pizza in the North American sense of the word. In fact this cheese pie is very similar to Molise's "fiadoni con formaggio" [See Pastry Pockets] except in Molise the cheese pie is presented as a pastry pocket. Prior to World War II those living in the countryside didn't have a lot of pots or pans to cook with, so they avoided their use (Besides there was no indoor plumbing, so washing cooking utensils was a "real" chore!). In any case, back then such cheese-based recipes would only be served at Easter (or other festive occasions, depending on local custom). Nowadays, they're served any old time. There are dozens of recipes for "pizza rustica", but generally speaking all the recipes include ricotta and three other types of cheeses. The recipes also ask for an Italian cold cut (generally air-dried). In Lanciano, Abruzzo (where my uncle was born) I believe they used "pancetta" (Here too the recipe was presented as a pastry pocket). In any case, the end result is a sharp-tasting cheese pie. Some will love it, and some will hate it. It's an acquired taste. If one is curious about this style of cookery and one does not have access to Italian foods or one is on a limited budget (prosciutto is ridiculously expensive) one can substitute ham for prosciutto, and cheddar for provolone. As for the pie crust recipe, any sweet pastry dough recipe can be substituted (All the recipes, despite the use of sharp cheese, add sugar to the dough). The one attached to this recipe is incredibly easy to do and tastes just fine. Strangely enough, or not so strangely, in Molise cheese-filled pastry pockets ("fidone con formaggio") were served at the end of the meal, rather than at the beginning. Like the French, Italians used to end a festive meal with cheese and after that, with fruit and/or dessert. Nowadays "pizza rustica" is often served at the beginning of a meal, as an entree. In some cookbooks "pizza rustica" is called "Neapolitan country pie." However, "pizza rustica" was, and still is, common throughout Southern Italy. Obviously each little town in each little province in the South had (and still has) its own take on it. Hopefully, one day this web site will contain all the variations (That's my dream!).

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