Pizza Rustica Tart

A delicious savory Italian pie traditionally served at Easter time. But this would be great all year as a dinner served with a salad.

1 7” - 8” Tart Pan with a removable bottom and 1 ½” sides If all you have is a 9” tart pan with 1” sides it will work just fine, but your filling will not be as thick. If using a 9” pan, cut the strips 1” wide.

10 Ounces Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese - Drained for 24 hours
2 Whole Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
¼ Cup Diced Dried Sweet Sausage
5 Thin Slices of Prosciutto cut into pieces
4 Ounces Smoked Mozzarella Cheese - diced Do not use fresh mozzarella because it will release a lot of water into the filling
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a food processor and pulse about 5 times until combined.
Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add to the flour. Pulse 10-15 times until the butter is incorporated and the mixture looks powdery or sandy.
Add the 2 whole eggs and pulse until the dough comes together.
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead5-6 times to form a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into 2 pieces, 2/3 and 1/3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Place the drained ricotta cheese in a large bowl and whisk in the 2 eggs.
Add the pecorino romano, sausage, prosciutto, mozzarella, parsley and ground pepper and stir to combine. The filling can be held in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 350℉.
After chilling, roll the 2/3 piece into a circle 1/8” thick and use it to line the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill until you are ready to fill.
Roll the remaining 1/3 of the dough and any scraps between 2 sheets of parchment paper in the shape of a rectangle 1/8” thick. Place on a sheet pan and put in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up the dough.
Place the filling into the dough lined tart pan and smooth the top.
Remove the sheet of dough from the freezer and cut into 3/4” wide strips.
Brush the strips with the beaten egg yolk and water. I like to brush the strips with egg wash before applying , for this tart, because doing it after the strips have been applied can get a bit messy. The filling can get on the brush and get onto your strips.
Place 5 strips over the filling spaced evenly apart. The strips should hang over the edge of the pan. Cut off any excess dough even with the edge of the pan and press lightly to adhere to the crust edge.
Cut 5 more strips and place them across the existing 5 at a 45 degree angle creating a lattice pattern. Press lightly to adhere to the crust edge and remove any excess.
Bake for 40- 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Place the tart on a rack to cool about 10 minutes. Remove the tart ring and cool completely.