Rustic Potato and Onion Pie

The rustic potato and onion pie is a comforting and tasty dish, perfect for a family dinner or as a main course. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of potatoes
• 2 medium onions
• 200 g of grated cheese (pecorino or parmesan)
• 2 eggs
• 100 ml of milk
• Nutmeg, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• Butter, for greasing the pan
• Breadcrumbs, for dusting the pan

Preparation

1. Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into cubes. Boil them in salted water until they are soft, then drain and mash them with a potato masher or a fork.

2. In the meantime, thinly slice the onions and sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt, until they become transparent and lightly golden.

3. In a large bowl, mix the mashed potatoes with the sautéed onions, grated cheese, eggs, milk, and a touch of nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

4. Take a baking dish and grease it with some butter, then dust it with breadcrumbs. This will create a crispy crust around the pie.

5. Pour the mixture into the dish and level it well with the back of a spoon.

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40-45 minutes, or until the surface becomes golden and crispy.

7. Once ready, let it rest for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Curiosity

The rustic potato and onion pie has peasant origins; it was once prepared to make use of available ingredients and ensure a hearty and nutritious meal. In some variants, other cheeses like smoked scamorza are added or a heart of cooked ham or pancetta is placed inside the pie for an even richer and more enveloping taste.

If you’d like to add a more marked Italian touch, you might consider using taleggio or gorgonzola instead of the grated cheese, for a note of more intense and typically Italian flavor.