Everything You Need To Know About Savory Italian Easter Pie

Have you ever had a delicious Italian Easter pie? While some people might think of pies only in terms of sweet desserts, this savory dish can be found at many gatherings. As shared by Spruce Eats, after abstaining from certain foods during Lent, the Italian Easter table often features lavish and indulgent dishes, like Easter pie. Often made on Good Friday, this mouthwatering pie could definitely be the star of any Easter brunch table (via New York Times).

Both Martha Stewart's website and Real Simple have recipes for this traditional Italian Easter food. While sometimes called a Pizza Rustica, the entree looks more like a deep dish quiche, but it features a top crust or lattice, depending on the recipe. It also contains various meats and cheeses — like Italian sausage, prosciutto, salami, ricotta and mozzarella. Stewart's version combines all the ingredients into the pie crust, while the Real Simple recipe seems to layer the ingredients. The Italian Easter pie might be a tradition in some families, but this recipe could also be a quiche alternative, as long as you have a hearty appetite.

Easter and eggs are a common food pairing because in Italian Easter celebrations, they have a special meaning. According to Spruce Eats, eggs are a "symbol of renewal and rebirth," which is why the ingredient is incorporated into many Italian Easter recipes. From a simple frittata to an Easter Italian pie, there seems to be at least one dish on the table that features eggs.

One traditional dish that features eggs is a torta pasqualina. Similar to a savory tart, this dish often gets attention on the table because the whole egg is baked into the greens. While some versions use a pie crust, other recipes use layers of puff pastry, per Great Italian Chefs. Although the old Italian proverb says, "Christmas with family and Easter with whomever you want," just make sure that the people around the table all have a hearty appetite to enjoy all the food (via Prayers & Piazzas).