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Recipe Detail Page
Ricotta & Salami Torta Rustica
Winter 2015
There are many names for this Italian savoury pie including torta rustica, pizza rustica and pizza pie. Regardless of what you call it, it’s a deep-dish pastry crust stuffed with a combination of cheeses, meats and seasonings and it’s delicious! This lovely olive oil pastry dough is very pleasant to work with and though it seems a bit strange and ragged as it starts to come together, it becomes smooth and velvety when it’s rolled. It’s a bit like a cross between traditional pie pastry and pizza dough. The dough can be made a few days ahead, while the filling ingredients can be packed up to be stirred together before you assemble the pie. If you prefer, you can bake the pie up to 2 days ahead and transport it fully made to eliminate all last-minute work, then just reheat it or serve at room temperature. A robust green vegetable such as rapini, dandelion greens or broccolini, sautéed with garlic and lemon and a fresh tomato salad served on the side, provide the perfect contrast to the rich torta.
Serves 8
OLIVE OIL PASTRY
1 egg
⅔ cup (150 mL) olive oil
½ cup (125 mL) cold water
1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp (7 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
FILLING
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) hot pepper flakes
¾ cup (175 mL) drained roasted red peppers, chopped
6 oz (175 g) Italian salami or cured chorizo sausage, casing removed, diced
1 tsp (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
2 tubs (each 475 g) ricotta cheese
1 cup (250 mL) shredded provolone, Caciocavallo or Friulano cheese
⅓ cup (80 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup (80 mL) chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp (30 mL) cornmeal
Coarse or flaked sea salt (optional)
1 For the olive oil pastry, whisk together egg, olive oil, water and vinegar in a measuring cup or bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until chilled. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Pour in oil mixture and stir with a fork until a soft, ragged dough forms. Gather into a ball with your hands. Knead gently on a clean surface for 5 to10 minutes or until dough is fairly smooth and slightly elastic. Place in a sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until chilled, or for up to 2 days.
2 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) with rack positioned in the bottom third of oven.
3 For the filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and hot pepper flakes for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add roasted red peppers and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add to salami and black pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Let cool completely.
4 Whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended. Measure out 1 tbsp (15 mL) and set aside for brushing pastry. Add ricotta to remaining eggs in bowl and stir until evenly blended. Stir in provolone and Parmesan. Gently fold in basil and salami mixture just until evenly distributed.
5 To assemble, place pastry dough on a large work surface and roll out to an 18-inch (45‑cm) circle, lifting dough from the surface and letting it rest occasionally as you roll. This allows the stretchy dough to relax and makes it easier to roll thinly. Transfer to a 9-inch (23‑cm) springform pan (see TIP), carefully fitting into the bottom and letting excess drape over edges of the pan. Sprinkle bottom evenly with cornmeal.
6 Lightly pack ricotta mixture into the crust, smoothing top. Fold edges of dough over the filling toward the centre, gently stretching, pleating and pinching to create a rustic top that covers the filling with a small opening in the centre.
7 Brush reserved beaten egg all over the top crust being sure to seal pleats well. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt, if desired.
8 Bake in bottom third of oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F (180°C) and bake for about 1 to 1¼ hours longer or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbling and hot in the centre. Let cool in pan on a rack for20 to 30 minutes.
9 Carefully run a knife around inside of ring to loosen pastry and remove ring from pan.Cut into wedges to serve hot. To make ahead, let cool for about 1 hour. Loosely cover with foil and refrigerate until chilled. Replace ring on pan and wrap entire pan and pie tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let warm to room temperature or reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 1 hour before serving.
Serves 8
TIP If your springform pan ring doesn’t clamp around the base tightly, insert a piece of parchment paper on top of the base with the edges of the paper sticking out between the ring and the base, then tighten the ring. The parchment should help the 2 pieces fit tightly together.
