This was served as an appetizer before a big Easter Dinner on the menu first.
This pie for some may also have been called a style of Easter Rustica, however, that pie is filled with assorted meats and cheese this has no ricotta cheese and is not exactly the same as this having all sausage cheese and egg recipe.
If you like hot sausage, sweet, or cheese with eggs, this is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
As a child, I always referred to it as a big sausage pot pie and really loved it, but the biggest difference is this even tasted great cold so more like an Italian Sausage Roll in a pie crust instead of dough.
This is a basic easy filling and how mom made her Sausage Pie from the Region of Bari, Italy like her mom made.
Mom also made her own Homemade Sausage.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for this delicious sausage pie recipe.
Basic Sausage Recipe
This filling is a very basic recipe you can adapt it on how you prefer it using sliced sausage or loose sausage, hot or sweet.
As the years went on we sometimes would add sliced olives, and peppers to the pie so adapt away.
The recipe is written with those options just to be clear on the differences.
Tips
- For a sausage and cheese filling, add 1 cup more shredded cheese( preferably provolone mixed with mozzarella)
- Always keep the dough at least 1/2 inch in thickness so the filling won't poke through the dough
- Never use a hot filling the dough will rip all fillings must be cool
- Substitute any meats you like with the suggestions below
- This pie can be made all vegetarian substituting zucchini shredded raw and blotted dry
- Store-bought top and bottom pie crust can be used but will have a different result from this pastry dough
- Bake until the top crust brown
- For a glistening sheen beat an egg and brush before baking
- These can be made ahead of time for parties, frozen for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Shopping List of Ingredients You Will Need
scroll down to the recipe card for the exact measurements
- homemade pie crust (flour, shortening, salt, baking powder, eggs, and water)
- Italian sausage loose or sliced cooked and casing off cooled drained (hot, sweet or herb-flavored).
- eggs some raw and some hard-boiled
- mozzarella (or provolone shredded)
- grated cheese Pecorino Romano
- garlic powder or sliced fresh garlic
- black pepper
- Meats to use and other additions: pepperoni, capicola, peppers, mushrooms, black olives,
- Optional Garnish: basket cheese, minced garlic, olive oil, or use one beat egg for shine on the top crust while baking freshly chopped herbs
Filling Suggestions
(used in any combinations)
- any kind of peppers
- mushrooms
- chopped tomatoes
- black or green olives
- shredded zucchini blotted dry
- spinach or other cooked greens like escarole
- eggplant
- onions
- minced fresh garlic
- cooked sausage
- pepperoni
- capicola
- sauteed shrimp, scallops with mozzarella
- cheese and drained tuna with sharp cheddar
- meatballs in tomato sauce crushed
More Recipes To Try:
Italian Panzerotti
Mom's Stuffed Focaccia Bread
Mom's Homemade Sausage Patties
Pin Mom's Sausage Pie
Pie Crust
This Italian sausage pie has a different kind of pie crust also, it is more of a pastry crust using eggs and oil in the crust however in a pinch you can use a store-bought double crust for your pie.
Baked to perfection and delicious it can be served hot or cold.
Perfect for packing in school lunches or work and always welcome when you need a quick snack.
The pie freezes well, thawed in the refrigerator overnight, and warmed up for around 15 minutes in the oven so you can even make them ahead of time.
Hope you like mom's recipe, let me know what you think in the comments.
Yield: 12
Mom's Italian Sausage Pie
This is sausage pie made with sausage, eggs cheese all in a pastry style flour and egg style crust usually found on Easter Sunday as an appetizer before a big dinner.
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 2 pounds of loose or sliced Italian hot or sweet sausage fried and drained with 3 cloves of sliced garlic
- 4 hard-boiled eggs chopped fine
- 1 cup of grated mozzarella or provolone (or a mixture)
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 5 raw eggs
- Pastry Crust:
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 cup shortening or vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Optional: 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water for the top crust if you would like a shine on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Lightly oil spray or grease a 9-inch deep-dish baking pie plate.
- For the filling:
- Mix all the ingredients together with the sausage season with granulated garlic or (3 cloves of minced garlic) along with salt and pepper to taste.
- For the dough (double crust):
- Mix the flour baking powder and shortening ingredients using a pastry blender add to make blending them together.
- NOTE: if you use regular oil you can omit this process and continue to add all the ingredients we prefer to use the shortening for a flakier crust).
- Then add the salt baking powder, eggs, and cold water mixing to form a ball with the pie crust.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured board and make two round crusts to fit the top and bottom.
- Add the first crust to the bottom of the prepared pie plate, pour in the filling, and top with another crust.
- You can brush the top with egg wash, this will give it a nice shine while baking.
- Pierce holes on top with a fork or you could make a lattice crust.
- Brush with beaten egg if you prefer and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top crust is nicely browned.
- Cool slightly before serving, again this is served hot or cold to your preference.
Notes
Filling Suggestions
(used in any combinations)
- any kind of peppers
- mushrooms
- chopped tomatoes
- black or green olives
- shredded zucchini blotted dry
- spinach or other cooked greens like escarole
- eggplant
- onions
- minced fresh garlic
- cooked sausage
- pepperoni
- capicola
- sauteed shrimp, scallops with mozzarella
- cheese and drained tuna with sharp cheddar
- meatballs in tomato sauce crushed
Pin Mom's Sausage Pie
More Recipes To Try:
Eggplant Parmesan Pizza
Meatball Pizza
Stromboli
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2023.