Pizza Rustica Alla Napoletana

Recipe Ingredients

		Pasta Frolla
3 cups	187g / 6.6oz	Bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup	99g / 3.5oz	Sugar
1 teaspoon	5ml	Salt
1 teaspoon	5ml	Baking powder
12 tablespoons	180ml	Cold unsalted butter - (1 1/2 sticks)
3 tablespoons	45ml	Eggs (large)
		Filling
2 lbs	908g / 32oz	Whole-milk or part-skim-milk ricotta
6 lbs	2724g / 96oz	Eggs (large)
1 teaspoon	5ml	Freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup	36g / 1.3oz	Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 lb	454g / 16oz	Mozzarella - coarsely grated
1/2 lb	227g / 8oz	Sweet dried sausage - peeled and diced
1/2 lb	227g / 8oz	Prosciutto - shredded
1/2 cup	20g / 0.7oz	Chopped flat-leaf parsley
		Egg Wash
1		Egg - well beaten with
1		Salt

Recipe Instructions

Butter a 12-inch-diameter by 2-inch-deep cake pan, or an 11- by 17-inch jelly-roll pan.

To make the dough, combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse several times to mix. Cut the butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and distribute evenly over the dry ingredients in the work bowl. Pulse until very finely powdered. Add the eggs and continue to pulse until the dough forms a ball on the blade.

To mix the dough by hand, combine the the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in finely by hand or with a pastry blender. Stir in the eggs with a fork and continue stirring until the dough holds together.

Remove the dough and divide into 2 pieces, one of which is two-thirds of the dough and the other one-third. Press the larger piece into a circle and wrap in plastic. Press the smaller piece into a square and wrap it too. Refrigerate both while preparing the filling.

To make the filling, place the ricotta in the work bowl of the food processor and pulse to puree smoothly. Transfer the ricotta to a mixing bowl and stir in the eggs, one at a time; stir in the remaining filling ingredients in the order listed.

Set a rack at the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Lightly flour a work surface and the larger piece of dough and roll the dough out into a 17-inch circle. Fold the dough into quarters and place in the prepared pan. Unfold the dough and press into the pan, allowing any excess dough to hang over the sides. Pour in the filling (it will come to about 3/4-inch below the top of the pan) and smooth the top.

Roll the remaining dough into a 10-inch square and cut into 1-inch strips. Paint the dough strips with the egg wash. Arrange 5 strips over the filling. Arrange the remaining strips at a 45-degree angle across the first ones. Press the strips against the rim of the pan to make them stick and trim away excess dough -- only from the strips -- around the top of the pan. Use a small knife to loosen the bottom crust dough around the rim of the pan and fold it over to form an edge for the top crust.

Bake the pizza for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set and the dough is baked through. Cool in the pan on a rack.

To unmold, place a platter over the pizza and invert it, then remove the pan. Replace the pan with another platter and invert the pizza again. Remove the top platter.

Serving: Serve in wedges as an appetizer, or as part of a buffet. Pizza rustica is a perfect brunch dish.

Storage: Keep the pizza rustica at room temperature on the day it is baked. For longer storage, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to several days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Hint For Success: Don't overbake the pizza rustica or the filling will become watery and soak through the bottom crust.

This recipe yields 1 large pie, about 20 servings.

Source:
Cookbook Digest, Mar/Apr, 1996

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