Have you ever made an Easter pie? It's a traditional Italian dish made with a ricotta egg filling that can be flavored with sweet or savory ingredients and served either as an appetizer or a dessert. Either way, it's a rich treat to celebrate the end of the Lenten fast.

Some recipes call for a homemade crust while others make use of pre-made phyllo dough. The ricotta egg filling can be made savory with various sausages and vegetables, or sweet with ingredients like orange zest, vanilla and pine nuts. The savory version is often served as an appetizer before the Easter meal.

Here are a few Easter pie recipes to try:

Sweet Easter Pie

• Giada De Laurentiis' Easter Pie
• Emeril Lagasse's Italian Easter Pie
• Martha Stewart's Neapolitan Easter Pie
• Easter Pie with citrus zest and chocolate chips

Savory Easter Pie

• The Easter Pie with Genoa salami, hot sopressata and sweet sopressata
• Easter Pie with Italian sausage, cheddar and Provolone
• Italian Easter Pie with sweet Italian sausage, prosciutto, ham and mozzarella
• Traditional Easter Pie with spinach, artichoke and poached eggs

Related: Crowd-Pleasing Quiches You Can Make Ahead for Easter

(Image: Food Network)