Pies are not normally associated with Italian cooking, but
in Campania its traditional to make a savoury pie during Christmas. It's made
with leftover bread dough enriched with lard and endive, mixed with anchovies,
capers, pine nuts and olives, Farmers used to take it with them to the fields
for lunch, and I remember finding a slice in my school lunchbox as a treat (my
nonna would put in when she made the pie for my nonno, who loved it). I have
made a lighter version-and believe me, one you start on a slice, you will want
more
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| Italian Vegetable pie |
Serves 6-8
Italian Vegetable pie ingredients: 7g sachet dried instant
yeast. 250g 00 or strong (baker's) flour, plus extra dust. 2tbs softened
unsalted butter, cut into pieces. 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil, plus extra to brush
and drizzle. 500g potatoes. 1 small onion, thinly sliced. 300g zucchinis,
thinly sliced. 4 artichokes in oil, drained, sliced (reserve 2 tbs oil). 600g
English spinach, trimmed. 2 eggs. 2/3 cup (50g) grated Parmesan
Italian Vegetable pie recipe: 1- Dissolve the yeast in 150ml
lukewarm water. Combine the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Make
a well in the centre, gradually pour in the yeast mixture and mix well to form
a soft but not sticky dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes,
then form into a ball, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a war,
place for 2 hours. 2- Preheat the oven to 200C.lightly grease a baking try with
olive oil. Peel the potatoes and slice into rounds about 5mm thick. Place on
the baking tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
Roast for about 15 minutes, until cooked through but firm. 3- Meanwhile, heat
the olive oil in a frypan, add the onion, then sweat over medium heat until it
has softened. Add the zucchini and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add the
artichokes with their oil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and season
with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover with a lid and cook
for 5 minutes. Cool. 4- Increase the oven to 220C. Beat the egg in a bowl, then
stir in the Parmesan and a little salt and pepper. Add the cooled vegetables
and stir to gently combine. 5- Line around 23cm pie dish with baking paper.
Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half on lightly floured surfaces and
line the bottom and sides for the pie dish. Arrange half the cooked potatoes on
the bottom, followed by half the vegetable filling, repeat the layers. Roll out
the other piece of dough and cover the pie, sealing well so that the filling
does not escape. Prick all over with a fork and brush with extra virgin olive
oil. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until pastry is crisp and golden. The
pie can be eaten warm or at room temperature
