Italian Easter Pie Ricotta Salami (Printable)

A savory Italian pie with ricotta, salami, and cheeses, perfect for brunch or festive meals.

# What you'll 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 - 2-3 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

→ Finishing

16 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch springform or deep pie pan with butter or cooking spray.
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 chill for 20 minutes.
03 - Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and line the prepared pan, allowing excess to overhang the edges.
04 - In a large bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mozzarella, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in diced salami until evenly distributed throughout.
05 - Pour filling into the pastry-lined pan and smooth the top surface with a spatula.
06 - Roll out remaining pastry and cut into strips. Arrange strips in a lattice pattern over the filling. Trim excess pastry and crimp edges with a fork to seal.
07 - Brush lattice strips and crimped edges with beaten egg to create a golden finish.
08 - Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until golden brown and filling is set. If crust browns too quickly, cover edges loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.
09 - Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that feels fancy enough for Easter dinner but tastes like home cooking at its best.
  • Once you master the pastry, you'll find yourself making this for every spring gathering because people actually remember it.
  • The filling is forgiving enough that small mistakes disappear once everything bakes together.
02 -
  • Draining your ricotta is not optional—I learned this the hard way when a watery filling made my bottom crust soggy, and it taught me to line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and let it sit for at least an hour before making the filling.
  • The cold butter in the pastry is what separates a tender, flaky crust from a dense, disappointing one, so keep everything cold and work quickly.
  • Don't open the oven door to peek until at least 50 minutes have passed—the temperature fluctuation can cause the crust to collapse.
03 -
  • If your diced salami starts releasing too much oil, pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the filling to avoid a greasy texture.
  • Save a piece of raw dough to patch any cracks that appear during baking—it's an old bakery trick that works like magic.
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