Italian Sweet Easter Pie Food

RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF
• Add the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until well combined.
• Add in the butter and pulse 5-7 times, or until the butter is broken down into tiny pebbles.
• With the motor running, add in the eggs and let the dough process until it forms together into a cohesive ball around the blade, about 1 minute.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface dusted with flour. Divide the dough in half.
• Roll out half of the dough to a rough 11″ circle and place inside of a 9″ deep-dish pie plate, tucking the ends of the pastry underneath themselves to form an edge. Pierce the bottom of the pastry multiple times with a fork to allow the steam to escape when baking. Place the pastry in the freezer to chill while the oven preheats, or at least 10 minutes.
• Roll out the other half of the dough to a rough 10-inch circle. Place the pie dough on a flat surface (such as a sheet pan) that can fit in your refrigerator. Cover, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
• Remove the bottom crust from the freezer and line the pastry with a round piece of parchment paper and then add pie weights to fill (or dry rice or beans or lentils), making sure to push pie weights up against the edges. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack, then remove from the oven and remove the parchment and pie weights. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Add the (strained) ricotta to a large bowl. Whip it with a whisk for 30 seconds until lightened. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and almond extract and whisk together until well combined.
• Transfer the filling to the slightly cooled pie shell.
• Whisk together an egg with a bit of water to make an egg wash.
• Remove the rolled-out top crust from the refrigerator. Score the top crust with the fork in a lattice pattern by evenly pressing and dragging the fork on the pastry. You want to get a good score on it, but make sure not to cut through the pastry.
• Brush the egg wash on the top crust as well as on the edges of the baked bottom pie crust (this will help the top crust seal to the edges). Transfer the top crust pastry on top of the ricotta filling. Seal the top crust into the edges, and cut off any excess dough.
• Bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet in the middle part of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden and shiny and the filling has just nearly puffed up throughout, leaving just a small portion in the middle that has not risen.
• Let cool for at last 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or cold.

SICILIAN RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour and sugar and process a few times to mix together.
• Next add the butter and pulse a few times until the mixture looks like wet sand.
• Add the egg and yolk and process a few seconds more until the dough forms (this should be about 5-7 more pulses, no more than that should be necessary).
• Dump out the dough from the food processor bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Form the dough into two disks (one slightly larger than the other) and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
• In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the two egg yolks and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until nice and fluffy.
• Fold the egg whites, espresso, lemon zest, and vanilla into the ricotta mixture.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• When dough nicely chilled, remove them from the refrigerator. Roll out the larger disk of dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 13-inch round about 1/8 thick.
• Spray an 11-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom with baking spray. Gently wrap the dough over the rolling pin and place it over the tart pan; release the rolling pin and let the dough fall into the tart pan. Press the dough softly into the bottom of the tart pan. If some of the dough breaks while you press it into the tart pan, not a problem. Simply piece the dough together.
• Press the sides of the dough about 1/2 inch up the side of the tart pan. The rim of the tart should be lined with a slightly thicker layer of pastry than the bottom (about 1/4-inch thick).
• Place this tart pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes (or even longer if necessary) to chill.
• When the dough is chilled and ready to fill, remove the tart pan from the refrigerator and prick the pastry bottom with a fork a few times.
• Pour the filling gently into the crostata. Flatten it out with a spoon or a spatula. Roll out the remaining piece of dough to 1/8-inch thickness Cut out 5 strips and place them 1 inch apart on top of the filling.
• Cut out another 5 strips and place them 1 inch apart diagonally across first strips to form a lattice design. Trim edges of all strips flush with edge of shell.
• Carefully place the crostata on top of the baking sheet.
• Bake for about 40-50 minutes at 375 F, or until the crust is golden brown.
• Let cool completely before removing from tart pan. Best eaten the first day but makes a lovely breakfast the next day.

EASTER PIE

Steps:

• Blend 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie dish. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the dish, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter.
• Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the pie and serve.

ITALIAN EASTER PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and water; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse a couple of times. Add the chilled butter and pulse about 10 times until pea-size pieces remain. Add the egg mixture and pulse 15 to 20 times until a dough ball forms. Place the dough ball on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 minute. Divide into 2 balls, wrap each ball with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: While the dough is resting, whisk together the ricotta cheese, salt, some pepper and 6 of the eggs in a medium bowl and set aside. In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add the oil and brown the sausage, breaking up the pieces while it's cooking, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the sausage on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving behind any fat. Add the asparagus and cook until beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter.
• On a well-floured counter, roll out each dough ball into a thin 14-inch circle. Cover one circle with plastic wrap until ready to use. Loosely roll the other dough circle around a rolling pin and unroll over the prepared cake pan, letting the excess hang over the side. Press the dough gently into the sides of the pan so there is no gap between the pan and the dough. Shingle the salami over the bottom of the dough, creating an even layer. Then, add the asparagus in an even layer on top of the salami. Next, add half of the egg mixture and spread it out evenly, then top with the capicola in an even layer. Layer in the sausage and top with the remaining egg mixture, then finally the provolone cheese.
• Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush the outside rim of the dough with the egg wash. Add the remaining dough circle to the top of the pie and cut off the excess dough. Press both circles together to create a seal. Brush the remaining egg wash over the entire top and slice a couple slits in the top of the pie. Bake until golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.