Pizza Rustica

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 pie crust, for 11 inch pan
• 2 eggs (reserve 1 tbsp egg )
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded jarlsberg cheese (divided)
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed (optional)
• 6 -8 ounces hot smoked sausage, chopped (salami, pepperoni 0r cappicoli)
• 1 cup cherries or 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1 lb asparagus
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 375f, prick the pie crust and paint with the tbsp of eggwhite.
• 2 bake crust for approximately 10 minutes or until it begins to brown, set aside to cool beat the eggs and mix with the ricotta cheese, gently stir in 2/3 of the jarlsberg cheese & the garlic (if using). put half of this mixture into the cooked pie crust and spread it out evenly. sprinkle in the chopped sausage.
• 3 place tomato halves on top of sausage.
• 4 sprinkle with the pepper & italian seasoning.
• 5 gently pour in the remaining cheese mixture, spread evenly.
• 6 bake 35 minutes or until the cheese mixture is firm.
• 7 meanwhile wash the asparagus and snap off the tough bottom end of the stalks cut the asparagus into 1/4" rounds leaving the tips (heads) whole.
• 8 steam the asparagus (cut pieces and tips) for 4-5 minutes, they should still be crisp. have the asparagus ready before the pie is finished baking.
• 9 spoon the asparagus on top of the pie.
• 10 sprinkle on the remaining cheese, arrange the asparagus tips on top& decorate with the olives. return to the oven for about another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. serve warm.