Pizza Rustica

This is one of my husband's single most favorite dishes of all time. Not kidding, people. It's from Giada de Laurentiis, on Food Network. It is a little time consuming, but great for get-togethers or large family dinners. I say that, because it's a large pie, and only keeps for a few days.

Pizza Rustica
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. Italian sausage
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese
12 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
4 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
Pastry Dough
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Pastry Dough
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 c sold solid shortening, cut into pieces
1 tsp. salt
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 to 4 Tbsp. ice cold water

Blend the flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a food processor.
The mixture will resemble coarse meal.

Blend in the eggs.
With the machine running, add cold water one Tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms.Gather the dough into a ball, and divide the dough into 2 pieces, one twice as large as the other. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For Rustica:
- brown sausage with 1 Tbsp. oil, add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Set aside
- saute spinach in same pan as sausage with 1 Tbsp. oil for about 10 minutes. Cool, then squeeze to drain as much liquid as possible.

In large bowl, add egg yolks and beat lightly. Stir in ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 c Parmesan. Add the sausage, the spinach and prosciutto to the mixture. Stir to combine.

Roll out large piece of dough to a 17-inch round.
Place the dough in a 9-inch springform pan. Trim the overhang dough to 1-inch.

Fill with ricotta mixture. Roll the smaller dough to a 12-inch round.

Top with smaller dough.
Fold and pinch edges together to seal.
Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle 2 Tbsp. parmesan over the top.

Bake on bottom shelf about 1 hour. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before you cut into slices.This is really good, and I enjoy making it only about 1-2 times a year. It's always a favorite with my family, hope you enjoy!!