“Pizza Rustica” is a broad term in Italy, encompassing a ton of different stuffed pizza variations. While they’re sometimes made using a homemade dough, they often use pre-made puff pastry sheets. The latter method makes for a quick, easy and delicious meal with little fuss or cooking time!
Different Kinds of Pizza Rustica
A Pizza Rustica can be stuffed with almost anything, making it a great fridge cleaner. Just about any kind of cheese or deli meat works perfectly. You can even add vegetables inside (we love using a cheesy Swiss chard filling). If it works on a pizza, it’ll work in a pizza rustica.
Below we’ve shared a slightly more complex filling with ricotta and zucchini, but feel free to get creative!
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PIZZA RUSTICA RECIPE
Makes: Serves 6 to 8
Cook Time: 45 minutes
For this recipe, you will need:
1 pound (450 g) ricotta
2 zucchini, grated
3.5 ounces (100 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste
Salt
Fresh black pepper
3 large eggs
2 sheets of puff pastry dough, about 10 x 15 inches (25 x 38 cm)
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta, grated zucchini, Parmigiano and salt/pepper to taste. Once you have the mixture seasoned with cheese and salt to your liking, mix in two eggs.
Unroll one sheet of puff pastry and lay it flat on a large piece of parchment paper. Spread the ricotta filling to cover the puff pastry, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) of space around the margins. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top to close the pizza and use a fork to crimp the edges shut.
Carefully use the parchment paper to transfer the pizza onto a large baking sheet. Trim any excess, overhanging paper off and poke a few holes in the top of the pizza with a paring knife.
Whisk the remaining egg and brush the pizza liberally with the egg wash so that the top is completely coated. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the puff pastry dough is golden and crispy. If the top is cooking unevenly, you can help by moving the pizza onto a lower rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Buon appetito!
If you’re still in the mood for pizza (who isn’t?), check out some of our other pizza recipes here!