Pizzagaina

I make mine like this -

PIZZAGAINA

Cheeses:
2 batches homemade ricotta or 3 lbs Ricotta store bought
1/4 lb Provolone
1/2 large Mozzarella
3 eggs slightly beaten
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
optional - bits of sweet Easter cheese
optional - my cheese blend of pecorino romano, asiago, parmesan, etc. with cracked black pepper

Meats: I eyeball all this -
1/4 lb Pepperoni
1/4 lb Prosciutto
1/4 lb Genoa salami or sopressata
1/4 lb sweet sausage browned and crumbled
1/4 lb mortadella, sliced and chopped
1/4 lb capicola (hot ham), very thinly sliced

Chop all filling ingredients finely, & mix together.

Pie Dough:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 lb butter or lard or Crisco cut into cubes, then put in the freezer to get ice cold
2 eggs

Stir flour, salt & sugar together. Work shortening of choice into flour, mix the eggs in and add as much additional ice water as needed so that the dough comes together.
Divide part ¾ of the dough into a flat disc, do the same with the other ¼, wrap in saran and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Use an 9 or 10 inch inch springform pan, using the larger amount of dough for bottom & sides, ¼ for the top.
Fill with the cheese/meat mixture, but don’t pack or compress it, nevertheless making sure that there are no air bubbles in the filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1½ hours.

Sometimes I use my bread dough recipe in place of this crust recipe and assemble after the second rise.

We like it served with spaghetti/marinara sauce spooned over top.

And I make a meat-lovers as well.

So filling - so good.

My aunt made it with ham and hard-cooked eggs - whatever you like.