PIZZA-RUSTICA(M)         USENET Cookbook         PIZZA-RUSTICA(M)

PIZZA RUSTICA

     PIZZA-RUSTICA - San Felese Easter pie

     This dish is traditional in my family at Easter time.  I
     don't know how to spell the Italian name of this pie, but it
     sounds something like "Pizza Gain"-my father translates it
     as "full pie'' This recipe originated in the town of San
     Fele, east of Naples.

INGREDIENTS (serves 12)
          CHEESE FILLING
     2 lb      ricotta cheese
     3         large eggs
     1/4 lb    mozzarella cheese, shredded or chopped
     6 Tbsp    romano cheese, grated
     6 Tbsp    fresh parsley, chopped
     1 1/2 Tbsp
               dried mint leaves (do not use peppermint)
     1/2 tsp   black pepper
               salt to taste-depends on salt content of cheeses.
          MEAT FILLING
     1 lb      Italian sausage ("mild" or ``sweet'')
     2 oz      Italian dry salami, thinly sliced
     2 oz      prosciutto, thinly sliced (or any other ham)
          PIZZA
     1 1/2 lb  pizza dough (if you make your own dough, use about
               3 cups of flour)
               flour
     1         egg, separated

PROCEDURE
          (1)  Put ricotta and eggs into a large bowl and stir
               until well mixed.  Blend in all other ingredients.

          (2)  Slice the sausage into rounds about 3/8 inch
               thick.  Brown in a little oil until cooked
               through.  Drain, and discard grease.  Cut the
               salami and ham slices into strips about 1x 1/4
               inches

          (3)  Make or thaw or unwrap the pizza dough.

          (4)  Mix the meats into the cheese filling.  Roll the
               dough into two disks, one large enough to line a
               10-inch round cake pan, the other large enough to
               cover it.  Put the larger piece into the lightly-
               floured cake pan, molding it so that it completely
               lines the pan, with at least 1/2 inch hanging over
               the edge.  Fill with the cheese-meat mixture.  To
               allow for expansion, fill to about 1/2 inch below
               the top of the pan.  Wet the exposed dough edge
               with egg white, place the other piece of dough on
               top, and pinch the two pieces together.  Trim
               neatly to make a seal.  Brush egg yolk over the
               top of the pie (this will brown during baking).
               Puncture the top of pie in several places with a
               knife (make sure the holes are large enough not to
               close up during baking).  Bake at 350 deg. F for
               about an hour, until the top is browned but not
               burned.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
               Serve at room temperature.

NOTES
     This recipe makes a very large pie.  I couldn't find a big
     enough cake pan, so I used a cast-iron frying pan.  You
     might try using half the quantity of ingredients in a 7-inch
     pan (make a little extra dough).

     If possible, grate your own romano cheese.  Some of the
     romano sold pre-grated in cardboard cylinders looks and
     tastes more like sawdust than cheese.  "Romano" and ``parme-
     san'' are American names; the main difference is that romano
     is sharper. The mint you want to use is spearmint. It is
     sold as just plain "mint" in the spice section of supermark-
     ets.  Peppermint is entirely the wrong flavor.

     Italian sausage is a 'fresh' sausage, i.e. uncured and
     uncooked.  It must be cooked before eating.  Depending upon
     where you live, the less-spicy version of it is called
     either "sweet" or ``mild''.  When I'm really ambitious I
     make my own (that doesn't happen often!). The only
     ingredients are pork (about 20% fat), fennel seeds, salt,
     and a small amount of red pepper flakes, all coarsely ground
     and stuffed into natural hog casings.  If you can't find
     Italian sausage, you might try a mixture of ground pork with
     the above seasonings, rolled into little patties.  To adjust
     seasonings, just pan-fry a little bit of the mixture and
     taste.

     The cheese filling given above (without the meats) is my
     standard filling for lasagna, manicotti, ravioli, etc.

     This same recipe can be used to make calzone.  Roll out a
     small disk of pizza dough, put a blob of cheese/meat mixture
     in the middle, fold it over, seal, and bake.  This is a good
     way to use up any filling that doesn't fit into the pie.

RATING
     Difficulty: moderate.  Time: 30 minutes preparation, 1 hour
     cooking.  Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR
     Joe Petolino
     Chronon Computer Co., Mountain View CA
     sun!chronon!petolino
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