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Recipe Detail Page


Cheesy Mini Meatball and Rapini Hand Pies
Autumn 2024
Dishes with golden meatballs, rapini and delicately sweet and salty fresh mozzarella have been popular on Italian-inspired menus for quite some time. Here, that tried-and-true combo is encased in a delicious pastry crust for a tasty, portable Pop-Tart-style lunch. The everything bagel sprinkle adds a wonderfully flavourful and textured topping.
Makes 9 pies
PASTRY
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) regular salt
1 cup (250 mL) butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
FILLING
2 cups (500 mL) rapini greens, trimmed
2 Italian sausages, about 1/2 lb (225 g) in total, sausage removed from casing and rolled into 1-inch (2.5-cm) balls
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, plus more if needed
1/2 medium cooking onion
4 large or 6 small garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely grated pecorino
2 tsp (10 mL) lemon zest
250 g buffalo mozzarella bocconcini
EVERYTHING BAGEL SPRINKLE TOPPING
1 egg beaten with a little water
1/2 tsp (2 mL) crumbled dried garlic slices
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried minced onion
1/2 tsp (2 mL) poppyseeds
1/2 tsp (2 mL) sesame seeds, preferably a mix of black and white
1. To make pastry, whirl flour with baking powder and salt in a food processor fitted with a blade or dough blade. Add butter, sour cream and lemon juice. Pulse until dough begins to come together a little. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead to bring the dough together. It may feel dry at first, but it will come together with a bit of kneading. Once dough comes together, divide into two squareish-shaped pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. If making ahead, pastry will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. When boiling, add rapini. Cook until bright green and softened, 1 to 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Finely chop.
3. Cook meatballs by adding rolled sausage balls into a cold, large, wide, nonstick, heavy-bottom frying pan. Set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 15 to 18 minutes. Adjust heat and add a little oil, if needed, during cooking. Remove meatballs to a plate. Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil and onion to pan. Cook, stirring onion occasionally until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until softened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat. Let cool. Stir in rapini, pecorino and lemon zest. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
5. Roll one dough square out into a 12 x 14-inch (30 x 35-cm) rectangle. Cut into 9 rectangles. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
6. Repeat with remaining dough, but roll it into a 16 x 18-inch (40 x 45-cm) rectangle and leave on lightly floured counter. Cut into nine rectangles.
7. Divide rapini filling between rectangles on baking sheet. Place a mozzarella ball and three meatballs over filling on each rapini-topped piece of pastry.
8. Top each with a rectangle from the counter. Use a fork to seal edges. Brush tops with egg-wash mixture. Stir topping ingredients together in a small bowl, then sprinkle over tops of hand pies.
9. Bake in centre of preheated oven until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.
10. These are best eaten the day they’re made, but if making ahead, hand pies will keep well, covered and refrigerated in a sealed container, for 1 day. Wrap in foil and reheat in a preheated 350°F (177°C) oven.
Makes 9 pies