Title: Pizza rustica
 Categories: Entrees, Usenet
      Yield: 12 Servings
 
MMMMM-----------------------CHEESE FILLING----------------------------
      2 lb Ricotta cheese
      3 lg Eggs
    1/4 lb Mozzarella cheese,
           -shredded or chopped
      6 T  Romano cheese, grated
      6 T  Parsley (fresh),
           -chopped
  1 1/2 t  Mint leaves, dried
           -(do not use peppermint)
    1/2 t  Black pepper
           Salt to taste (depends
           -on salt content of
           -cheeses)

MMMMM------------------------MEAT FILLING-----------------------------
      1 lb Italian sausage
           -("mild" or "sweet")
      2 oz Italian dry salami,
           -thinly sliced
      2 oz Prosciutto, thinly
           -sliced (or any other ham)

MMMMM---------------------------PIZZA--------------------------------
  1 1/2 lb Pizza dough (if you
           -make your own dough,
           -use about 3 C of flour)
           Flour
      1    Egg, separated
 
  Put ricotta and eggs into a large bowl and stir until well mixed.
  Blend in all other ingredients.
  
  Slice the sausage into rounds about 3/8 inch thick.  Brown in a
  little oil until cooked through.  Drain and discard grease.  Cut the
  salami and ham slices into strips about 1 x 1/4 inches.
  
  Make or thaw or unwrap the pizza dough.
  
  Mix the meats into the cheese filling.  Roll the dough into two
  disks, one large enough to line a 10-inch round cake pan, the other
  large enough to cover it. Put the larger piece into the
  lightly-floured cake pan, molding it so that it completely lines the
  pan, with at least 1/2 inch hanging over the edge.
  
  Fill with the cheese-meat mixture.  To allow for expansion, fill to
  about 1/2 inch below the top of the pan. Wet the exposed dough edge
  with egg white, place the other piece of dough on top, and pinch the
  two pieces together. Trim neatly to make a seal. Brush egg yolk over
  the top of the pie (this will brown during baking). Puncture the top
  of pie in several places with a knife (make sure the holes are large
  enough not to close up during baking). Bake at 350 degrees F. for
  about an hour, until the top is browned but not burned. Remove from
  pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature.
  
  NOTES:
  
  *  San Felese Easter pie -- This dish is traditional in my family at
  Easter time.  I don't know how to spell the Italian name of this pie,
  but it sounds something like "Pizza Gain" (my father translates it as
  "full pie" This recipe originated in the town of San Fele, east of
  Naples.
  
  *  This recipe makes a very large pie.  I couldn't find a big enough
  cake pan, so I used a cast-iron frying pan. You might try using half
  the quantity of ingredients in a 7-inch pan (make a little extra
  dough).
  
  *  If possible, grate your own romano cheese.  Some of the romano sold
  pre-grated in cardboard cylinders looks and tastes more like sawdust
  than cheese.  "Romano" and "parmesan" are American names; the main
  difference is that romano is sharper.  The mint you want to use is
  spearmint.  It is sold as just plain "mint" in the spice section of
  supermarkets. Peppermint is entirely the wrong flavor.
  
  *  Italian sausage is a 'fresh' sausage, i.e. uncured and uncooked.
  It must be cooked before eating. Depending upon where you live, the
  less-spicy version of it is called either "sweet" or "mild."  When
  I'm really ambitious I make my own (that doesn't happen often!). The
  only ingredients are pork (about 20 percent fat), fennel seeds, salt
  and a small amount of red pepper flakes, all coarsely ground and
  stuffed into natural hog casings.  If you can't find Italian sausage,
  you might try a mixture of ground pork with the above seasonings,
  rolled into little patties. To adjust seasonings, just pan-fry a
  little bit of the mixture and taste.
  
  *  The cheese filling given above (without the meats) is my standard
  filling for lasagna, manicotti, ravioli, etc.
  
  *  This same recipe can be used to make calzone.  Roll out a small
  disk of pizza dough, put a blob of cheese/meat mixture in the middle,
  fold it over, seal and bake.  This is a good way to use up any
  filling that doesn't fit into the pie.
  
  : Difficulty:  moderate.
  : Time:  30 minutes preparation, 1 hour cooking.
  : Precision:  approximate measurement OK.
  
  : Joe Petolino
  : Chronon Computer Co., Mountain View CA
  : sun!chronon!petolino
  
  :