Michael's Pizza Piena

Submitted by Michael Gigliotti

An amazing Italian Easter pie.
This recipe is very special to me because it has been a family recipe since I was little. As I come from an Italian family, this Easter pie was a great way to celebrate the holidays, and we would even eat it outside of Easter. The different means and cheeses used in this make it extremely good to eat, especially with other smaller things on the side. This is probably the one and only family recipe that I have, but it is quite meaningful and also extremely delicious.

Ingredients for Crust:

• 4 cups of flour
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 2 tsp. water
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

Making Crust

1. Roll out dough thin
2. Place in greased pans
3. Place filling
4. Divide dough into two portions, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside
5. In a large bowl, beat ricotta until smooth, and then add most of the egg (except one tablespoon)
6. Add and combine remaining ingredients well

Assembly

1. Roll out the largest portion of pie dough on a floured surface, and line a 9 pan in grease
2. Fill with ricotta mixture
3. Roll out a smaller portion of pie dough, using the same method as Step 1
4. Brush with the reserved teaspoon of egg, cut a slit or two atop the pie
5. Bake until golden brown