Puff Pastry Pie with Zucchini and Ham

17/11/2023

The puff pastry pie with zucchini and ham is a tasty dish that combines the lightness of the vegetables with the rich flavor of ham. Here’s how you can prepare it.

Ingredients

1 roll of ready-to-use rectangular puff pastry
2-3 medium zucchinis
100-150 g of cooked ham slices
200 g of ricotta or cream cheese
100 g of grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino)
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Aromatic herbs to taste (basil, thyme, mint)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (static mode) and lightly grease a baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
Wash the zucchinis and slice them into thin rounds or long strips using a mandolin or a peeler.
In a pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the zucchini until they become slightly golden and soft. Season with salt and pepper and let them cool.
Roll out the puff pastry in the baking dish, pierce the bottom several times with a fork, and bake it for about 10 minutes, until it starts to puff up slightly.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta or cream cheese with the eggs and grated cheese. Add chopped aromatic herbs, salt, and pepper, and blend everything well.
Cut the cooked ham into strips and add it to the cheese cream.
After pre-baking the puff pastry base, distribute the zucchini over it, then pour the ricotta and ham mixture on top.
Bake the puff pastry pie for about 25-30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and the puff pastry is well cooked.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest a few minutes before serving.

Curiosity

This savory pie is perfect as an appetizer or as a main dish, accompanied by a fresh salad. The combination of zucchini and ham is very popular in Italian cuisine, often also used to enrich risottos or pasta. Ready-to-use puff pastry is a great help for quick preparations and can be filled with endless variations. For a vegetarian version, you can exclude the ham and add fresh aromatic herbs or crumbled feta cheese for more flavor.