Italian Easter Recipes: Italian Easter Pie – Italian Easter Bread

Everyone loves a delicious, traditional Easter dinner and other fun foods throughout the holiday. There’s a world of wonderful Easter foods to create for your family get-togethers this year.

The Italian heritage is full of festive and interesting Easter holiday recipes. While lamb is traditionally an Italian Easter staple, the rich and scrumptious breads and Easter pies are what folks clamor for at the buffet. Italian Easter Pies or tortas, are made from a variety of cheeses and meats like ham or prosciutto. Another popular traditional Italian Easter recipe is egg bread, common throughout much of Europe. This delicious bread is braided, brushed with egg or milk, and then baked until golden. In some parts of Italy, a whole egg is tucked into the braid to symbolize life or fertility.

Here are a few tasty Italian Easter Recipes for you to sample.

Italian Easter Pie

Pastry for 2 crust pie
16 oz. Ricotta cheese
4 oz. pepperoni or salami
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 oz. ham
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 egg white

Mix Ricotta, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper; spread in pastry lined pie plate. Top with half of the ham, egg slices and then remaining ham in layers. Cover with top crust, trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from edge of plate and flute edge and decorate. Brush top with egg white. Bake until top is golden brown, at least 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Italian Easter Bread

3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 pkg. (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 tsp.salt
2/3 cup warm milk (120-130F)
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
7 eggs (2 for dough, 5 for baking whole)
1/2 cup chopped mixed candied fruit
1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
1/2 tsp. anise seed
vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add milk and butter; beat 2 minutes on medium. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup flour, beat 2 minutes on high. Stir in fruit, nuts and anise seed, mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour until soft dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. If desired, dye remaining eggs (leave them uncooked), lightly rub with oil. Punch dough down, divide in half, roll each piece into a 24-inch rope. Loosely twist ropes together, place on a greased baking sheet and form into a ring. Pinch ends together. Gently split ropes, and tuck eggs into openings. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Brush with milk. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

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