Many tell stories of how they did it with their grandmothers growing up and now do it with their own children, Nonna’s recipe in tow. Some find it acceptable eat during Lentand local Italian delis serve it from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: ham pie. Many manufacturers, loaded with a basket and sliced ham inside the crust, often eschew the circular shape in favor of a rectangular pan and may add other smoked meats to the dish, such as pepperoni and prosciutto.
Regina Falcigno-Criscuolo, owner Petonito’s Pastry and Cupcake Shoppestarts making ham pie to order from late winter onwards.
“Pizzagaina has been a family tradition my whole life. Being a full-blooded Italian family, food and tradition are very important in my upbringing and I still follow as many traditions as I can,” said Falcigno-Criscuolo. “I have early memories of visiting my four aunts who lived on Winthrop Avenue in New Haven. One of my aunts worked at a bank and all of her customers would bring her pizza. My family would go there every year and try different ham pies. That was one of the of my favorite days of the year. We were literally sitting there comparing each other!”
Pizzagaina, or Italian ham pie, is a traditional Easter dish that is popular in the New Haven area.
Courtesy of Petonito’s Pastry and Cupcake ShoppeOther favorites this time of year include ricotta cake, wheat cake and chicola bread (lard). But it’s the ham pie that’s the most popular, and one that many New Haveners look forward to and take quite seriously.
“My father’s mother, Grammy Annie, was known in our family for making everything, including ham pies,” she said. “She would cut the ham into little cubes and make huge pies for everyone to enjoy. I remember my father and mother taking over the tradition when she died. As an adult, I still love to eat it and it is still my favorite meal at Easter. Being Catholic you can’t eat meat on Fridays, so my dad and I literally waited until the clock struck 12 midnight to have our first piece because they always baked on Good Friday.”
For the ham pies she shares with her family, Falcigno-Criscuolo said she tweaked the recipe by adding a few more ingredients and omitting the crust because she never liked it as a child.
Pizzagaina, or Italian ham pie, is a traditional Easter dish that is popular in the New Haven area.
Courtesy of Petonito’s Pastry and Cupcake Shoppe“Tweaking” is the key word here. Many establishments have made a name for themselves simply by adding their own flair to traditional fare. But where one person may love the addition of hot peppers or provolone, another may cringe at the idea of deviating from what they consider to be the “right way” to prepare a dish.
Here is a list of businesses that sell ham pie in the New Haven area:
Liuzzi Gourmet Food Market322 State St., North Haven
Rocco’s Bakery432 Ferry St., New Haven
DiSorbo’s Italian bakery1448 Dixwell Ave., Hamden
Meriano’s Bake Shoppe, 200 Boston Post Rd., Madison
Scarpellino’s Restaurant and Catering257 Forbes Ave., New Haven
Leoni’s Italian dishes1719 Foxon Rd., North Branford
Nonna Gina’s ready meals and gelateria750 E. Main St., Branford
The Italian company Cappetta imports pizza and catering188 Boston Post Rd., West Haven
Del Monaco Italian Market475 Townsend Ave., New Haven
As for Petonite’s, it’s been tucked away in the back of a building at 190 Main Street in East Haven for decades. In fact, it was Criscuolo’s first job as a teenager, and she ended up buying it from her former boss only a few years ago.
“We still use the famous bark that Salvatore Petonito used many years ago,” she said. “Keeping the tradition alive for so many people.”