PIZZA RUSTICA ALLA NAPOLETANA
This most typical savory pie is served at Carnevale (the day before Ash Wednesday) and then again at Easter. Though many recipes for pizza rustica specify that the dried sausage, mozzarella and other filling ingredients be layered, in the Neapolitan version, they are diced and added to the ricotta filling, making the pie easier to cut into wedges. At Easter, pizza rustica appears on the table with the other antipasti; a plate of peeled hard-cooked eggs is also obligatory.
FILLING
- 1 pound whole-milk ricotta
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano
- 1/2 pound mozzarella cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 pound sweet dried sausage, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 pound prosciutto, shredded
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- One batch pasta frolla
- One 9-inch cake pan 2 inches deep, or an 8-inch square pan, buttered
- 1. For the filling, place ricotta in a mixing bowl and use a large rubbers spatula to beat smooth. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then the remaining ingredients, one at a time.
- 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the lower third.
- 3. To assemble, cut off a third of the pasta frolla and reserve it. Roll the larger piece of the dough into a 13-inch disk and line the prepared pan. Trim the excess dough even with the edge of the mold.
- 4. Scrape in the filling and smooth the top.
- 5. Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle and cut it into 10 1-inch wide strips. Arrange 5 of the strips on the filling, ends touching the side of the crust, but not adhered at the top; arrange the remaining 5 at a 45-degree angle to the first ones
- 6. Bake the pie until the crust is baked through and the filing is set and slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack. When fully cooled, unmold to a platter or cardboard and cover loosely with plastic wrap. If not serving the same day, wrap and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.
PASTA FROLLA
This is Italy’s most typical pastry dough, used for both sweet and savory pies.
Makes about 2 1/4 pounds dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
- 3 large eggs
- 1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix.
- 2. Cut butter into 8 pieces and distribute evenly over dry ingredients in work bowl. Pulse until very finely powdered.
- 3. Add eggs and continue to pulse until dough forms a ball.
- 4. Remove dough, press into a thick cylinder, wrap and chill.
