Traditional Pizzagaina (Italian Easter Pie)

1. Make your crust! Start by mixing together the flour and salt.

2. Toss in the cubes of butter and start combining with two forks or pastry blender.

3. Add eggs one at a time and incorporate by hand.

4. Roll dough into two balls and cover with plastic wrap. Pop in the refrigerator for about an hour.

5. Meanwhile,take the slices of meat stacked and chop into sections for easier assembling. (Makes two to three pies depending on how full you fill each pie.)

6. Slice the hardboiled eggs as well.

7. Add parsley, salt, pepper, and pecorino to beaten eggs.

8. Take dough and let rest till it comes to room temperature. Then roll out in two circles.

9. Press into a 9-inch pie plate or 9-inch springform pan.

10. Now here’s where it gets challenging. There are two different ways to fill the inside. One way is to layer the meats, boiled eggs, and cheeses, then top with beaten eggs. The other way is to combine everything (eggs, meats, and cheeses) and pour in the pan. Both sides of my family do it differently so I made one of each.

11. If you choose layering, you will want to be sure to rotate (a meat, a cheese, hard-boiled egg) and repeat until you have used them all. There is no set pattern for layering the filling.

12. If you choose to combine first, then be sure you have a large bowl, because it’s a lot of food! Also, you will want to cube the hard boiled eggs to prevent them from breaking apart when mixing.

13. Either will taste great! Top with the second rolled out circle of dough. Press the edges to seal. Scallop the edges using your fingers or a fork. Also, be sure to cut vents in the pie. We got slightly creative and made a cross and a bunny on ours.

14. Brush with milk or egg to get a glossier finish to your crust!

15. Bake at 350ºF for 45–50 minutes. Let cool on cookie racks. Now cut and seve! Enjoy!