Pizza Gana Recipe
This is my family’s pizza gana recipe! Pizza gana, if you are unfamiliar with it, is an Italian dish made with a combination of eggs, meats, cheese and a little milk.
My family makes pizza gana every Easter. We usually have it for breakfast or with an assortment of appetizers mid-day. It’s my favorite egg casserole, by far.
When I was in college, I would travel home for Easter. Afterwards, my mom sent me back to school with a slab of pizza gana that I would covet and make last as long as I could. I wouldn’t share it with anyone. Not even my best friend.
Selfish, I know. But you would understand if you tasted pizza gana. If you had, you would have fist bumped me.
There are a few ways I’ve seen this eggy dish spelled, this way and pizza gaina! How do you spell it?
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Helpful tips
- In this recipe, I use sliced pepperoni because I forgot to tell hubby to buy a roll of pepperoni when he toddled off to the store. If you buy it in roll form (like a sausage), you can cut the pepperoni yourself into thicker slices or little chunks but even pre-sliced pepperoni needs to be cut.
- You can use leftover smoked shoulder or ham for the second meat.
- With this dish, you need to grease your pan really well AND liberally grease the wax paper you line the pan with. Trust me on this.
- The sides of the pizza gana WILL stick to the wax paper somewhat but just peel it away. Don’t stress when the browned sides pull away as it did with mine. That is normal.
- My recipe makes an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch pan, so if you are serving this to a crowd, double it and use a 13 x 9 inch pan.
How to make Italian pizza gana
Pre-step
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step one
Gather the ingredients – eggs, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, milk and pepper. (A)
Step two
Grease an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan liberally with either butter or vegetable shortening. Take wax paper, press it fully into the greased pan and then grease the paper liberally as well.
Step three
Cut up the ham or smoked shoulder and the pepperoni. (C)
Step four
Get a large mixing bowl, crack in the eggs, add almond milk (or any milk) and pepper and whisk until combined. (D)
Step five
Add ham, pepperoni, ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese. (E)
Step six
Take a rubber spatula and mix the ingredients all together. Make sure the ricotta cheese is broken up and smooth in the egg mixture. (F)
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Step seven
Pour the mixture into the greased and lined baking dish. (G) I used a 8 x 8 pan and as you can see, the egg mixture fills the pan to the rim. (H)
Step eight
Place the baking dish in the oven and set the timer for 1 hour and 5 minutes. I start testing the pizza gana at an hour. I take a clean butter knife and stick it in the middle of the dish. You will know it is done when the knife comes out clean.
It’s all fluffy and puffy.
As it cools, it sinks a little.
Step nine
Let the pizza gana cool for 10 minutes before you take hold of the wax paper, lift the whole casserole out of your pan and place it onto a wire rack.
My sister Robyn was at my house when I made this. She removed the wax paper for me.
All that is left is to cut some slices and consume those slices. 🙂
Robyn as my hand model.
Mmm! Pizza gana is surprisingly moist. It’s also delicious and fun to eat. It’s similar to quiche, but firmer, with a different taste and mouth feel. And of course, no crust!
I hope you try this egg casserole recipe!
Do you have an Easter tradition? Leave me a comment to tell me what it is as I’d love to know.
Other delicious breakfast ideas
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
My Family’s Pizza Gana Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 dozen eggs
- 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
- black pepper to taste
- 1 pound ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 5 ounces pepperoni chopped up in little pieces, just over 1 cup
- 2 cups ham or smoked shoulder (cut up into little chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350 F
- Liberally grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and line it with wax paper or parchment paper and grease that liberally as well
- In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs, add milk and pepper and whisk until combined
- Add ricotta cheese, mozzarella and meats and stir with a spatula until combined
- Pour into greased, lined baking dish, (it will be full) and carefully place in the oven for 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Test pizza gana with a butter knife – it should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting the pizza gana out by the paper
- Peel paper away from pizza gana, it is okay if the sides come off with the paper, it will just be a thin layer
- Slice in squares
- Plate
- Eat
- Enjoy
Equipment
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Originally published March 24, 2016.
From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.
This looks so fun to make and eat! Can’t wait to create this yummy dish…
Vince,
It is great! Just remember to grease the pan and wax paper liberally!! I make it once a year, and forget that once I grease it, to grease it again and then maybe again 🙂
Elaine
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I make a baked omelet, but the pizza part sounds fun!
I have been using non-stick foil instead of parchment paper for a lot of recipes. No greasing necessary.
Hi Anne,
What a great idea! I can’t believe I’ve never thought of it before. I guess when you’ve done it one way for years, you get tunnel vision. At least I do. 😉
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Elaine
I’ve had this at your house and loved it. Now, I’m planning on making this on Easter, but I’ll probably double the recipe!
Great! I hope you enjoy it Joyce!
This was so yummy. I am going to make this again.
It’s a fun and great way to have something different for brunch! Thanks, Luci!
It is so fluffy and tasty!!! This is perfect for a weekend brunch or even just a family breakfast!!!
Indeed! Thank you so much Tisha!
This pizza gana looks so good, makes for a yummy breakfast or snack, need to make it a.s.a.p.!
Hehe! Thanks, Patty! I hope you enjoy it!
This was so delicious! I like to toast the left overs!
Thanks Carrie! And yes, it’s so good leftover! 🙂
I have had this before but never made it myself until now. So delicious and I’m bringing it to my sister’s on Easter!
It’s so scrumptious and unique, Denise. I’m sure your sister will like it!
This was delicious and perfect for our weekend entertaining!
Thank you, Kathryn. Not many people have heard of it, but it’s a beloved dish for my family!
I love that this is so versatile and can be made with so many different meats! This is the perfect Easter Sunday breakfast 🙂
Thank you Kelly! 🙂
I am hosting Easter brunch this year and was looking to get recipe inspirations. I love your Pizza Gana and made it this weekend before Easter to make sure I make it right! So good.
Thanks, Veronika!
I’ve never heard of this before but I definitely want to eat it! Are there any suggestions for what you would serve with it? It sounds amazing for breakfast lunch or dinner! Great for brunch entertaining too.
We always used to have it by itself for breakfast and on Easter, we’d have it with appetizers around lunch – like shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers and such fare! Thanks for your comment, Laura!
I’m sold! Never heard of pizza gana but that sunshine-y yellow and the texture made me make it! Delicious. Love the easy, detailed steps too.
Thanks Saima! It’s so delicious and the photo doesn’t show how moist it is! Half of my family loves it warm and the other half loves it cold. 🙂
FABULOUS 👌
Yay! Glad you liked it Eugene! 🙂
I was happy to find another person who makes this the way I do(for the most part). As a Sicilian American this is one of the dishes that just says Easter for me. I had always made it with a top and bottom crust, but since my husband and I started eating very low carb I decided to make it without the crust. It just is not Easter without it!
Fun! I’ve never seen it with a top and bottom crust, but now I need to make it that way. And thanks, I agree, it’s not Easter without it.
Elaine ~ In this neighborhood it has various spellings (pizzagaina/pizza rustica/pizza cheina) …. whatever name you prefer it’s DELICIOUS! Our family recipe ingredients are ricotta/mozzarella/provolone/Pecorino Romano/ Soppressat/Salami and/or Mortadella and with a double crust — very rich – -which is why it’s an Easter presentation only for us! Your recipe will enable us to serve this delight more frequently (looks so tasty) … THANK YOU!
Elaine , your recipe is inspiring. I will make it. the only problem is with what you call it. Not your fault, you are probably so far removed from your ancestor’s origins. It’s called
“Pizza Ripiena” or “Pizza Rustica”. Everything else, any other name is in some type of Italian dialect from whatever region your people came from. and probably Americanized.
It’s wonderful that you keep your old traditions alive, but today, proper Italian is spoken throughout Italy, and they mock the way we immigrants speak.
Buona Pasqua {Apr 20, 2025}
Hi Maria, that’s fun. I love both of those names – Ripiena and Rustica. My maternal grandmother’s folks came to the US from Italy in the late 1800s. I appreciate your comment, and I hope you enjoy this recipe when you make it. My whole family makes this around Easter and even though we all have the same recipe, my mother’s pizza gana was the best, though my sister would argue with that. I’m just happy to eat it.