Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie

Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie April 4, 2015 , Updated March 16, 2019 62 Comments Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie, also known as fiadone di formaggio, is a rustic combination of eggs and cheese enveloped in a very firm dough. The combination of cheese and eggs is truly a wonderful thing. And I guess that if you were living in rural Italy, many, many decades ago, you found ways of making some very creative dishes, like these savoury fiadoni. Come take a look… The dough is a little bit difficult to roll out, but it has the all-important job of containing a cheese and egg mixture and so the whole combination just works. The cheeses I’ve used are a combination of Caciotta, Parmigiano–Reggiano, and Romano (Salerno). There’s just a slight bite. ORIGINS OF THE RECIPE FOR Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie: When I was a kid, this was one of the main Easter dishes. I can still remember all the preparations, led by my Mom and Grandmother, in the week before Easter. Would you believe me if I told you that my family would make between 25-30 savoury cheese pies, and just as many for the sweet ricotta pies?  We all contributed to making the fiadoni… one of my jobs was to make the little steam vents in the dough with my grandmother’s thimble. There was so much excitement and fussing during special holidays. Of course, there was all the food preparation, but that was just the excuse to get together with family and friends and to have a good time. Once again, this is a regional dish from Italy. As I have previously mentioned, my dad’s mother was born in Ripabottoni, in the province of Campobasso, in the Italian region of Molise. The exact realization of the Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie will be different in other regions – for example, some families will include sausage and/or ham in their pies. I guess you can say that my family would make a vegetarian version of these rustic fiadoni. Have you ever tried this Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie? Enjoy!!! Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie Italian Savoury Easter Cheese Pie, also known as fiadone di formaggio, is a rustic combination of eggs and cheese enveloped in a very firm dough. 5 from 11 votesThe dough:The filling:The egg wash:In a large mixing bowl (of stand mixer), with whisk attachment, beat the eggs with the oil and salt for about 1 minute.Add about a third of the flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes.Switch to dough hook and add the rest of the flour.”Knead” dough for about 8-10 minutes. Alternately, you can knead by hand.Place dough on slightly floured wooden board.Divide dough in 4 parts.Wrap each quarter in plastic wrap.Let dough rest for at least half an hour.Meanwhile,you can grate the cheeses.To make the filling:Grate all the cheeses, set aside.Whisk the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute).Whisk in the finely chopped parsley.Manually add mixture to grated cheeses and gently combine with wooden spoon.To assemble the pie:Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.Place one ball of dough on a slightly floured wooden board.With the help of a rolling pin, start stretching out your dough to a circular shape about 1/8- 3/16″ thick. (I usually roll it out to a 12 inch circle).Place “your plate” over the dough and cut around it with a knife (My plate measures 9″)Remove plate.Make a few incisions in the dough. ( I use a thimble)Place a heaping cup of cheese mixture in the middle section of half of your pie. (refer to picture in the blog)Cover and seal with a fork or with the end of your pastry cutter. Make sure you have a tight seal.Place on baking sheet.Brush with egg wash.Repeat. (I usually use the leftover dough to smaller cheese pies or combine them to make a fifth or sixth fiadone).Place in preheated oven at 350 ° F for about 20 minutes.Lower heat to 325 ° F and continue baking for 30-40 minutes until golden and puffy looking. Depending on your oven, you might want to place a sheet of aluminum paper loosely over the loaves, to prevent them from over browning.Place on racks to cool.Serve at room temperature. Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon’t miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it. Fiadone can be refrigerated(used within one week) or frozen for up to 3 months. Total yield is about 6 pies. Each pie can yield 15-16 slices. 1 serving = 1/2 slice Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 25mg | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 0.5mg SIGN UP for Email updates!YES! Send me FREE RECIPES! Thanks for dropping by. Ciao for now! About MariaMaria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She’s the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments. Reader InteractionsMarch 14, 2022 at 11:29 am Hello Maria. I enjoy your recipes so much. My grandma and father were from Campobasso. We made these every Easter. AS you stated, each province gave their own “twist” to the recipe. Our recipe is a bit more sharp because of additional cheese. Our recipe calls for lots of black pepper and fresh parsley. I am in my mid 70’s and still make them for everyone. Sadly most of the family is gone but the memories live on . Thank you so much. March 14, 2022 at 12:02 pm Thank you so much for sharing Marietta. I absolutely agree, the memories must live on! Buona Pasqua to you and your loved ones ♥ April 10, 2021 at 11:21 am Tastes just like my Nonna would make. She’s from Molise, our family calls it Chattone. Thanks for posting this!! It’s excellent. April 13, 2021 at 8:15 pm Thank you kindly Toni! Hope you had a wonderful Easter! December 11, 2021 at 11:30 am Hi Maria My mum lives in Wales where they emigrated and she was born in Ripabottoni I have great links there plus more family in Montreal Her maiden name is Carlone and my father Sauro We make these at Easter but I have decided to bake them for Christmas this year . A big hello yo your family thanks fir posting this xxxxx Buon Natale xx December 14, 2021 at 10:13 am Thank you so much Antonella! I wonder if we are related. My grandmother’s sister married into the Sauro family. I also remember my dad had a friend whose family name was Carlone. Small world ♥ Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas! Hi Maria. Happy Easter to you and your family. My Nonna use to make these. My grandparents on my dad’s side were from Sora. Her recipe used to include sliced up salami and lots of black pepper. Everything else was exact. Have you heard of salami being added or is that a regional thing? Take care. April 11, 2020 at 5:16 pm Hi Rob, thanks so much for sharing. Yes, definitely regional… and I would even say that every family put their own spin on it. My dad was a butcher, and he would make his own salami… but he preferred his cheese fiadone without the addition of any cured meats. Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Easter! April 10, 2021 at 11:22 am Ye, Rob. I add caccitore sausage and parsley to it as well. My family is from Isernia, Molise and this is exactly what she’d make! Happy Eatser. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *