Home

Tricolor Savory Pie

17/11/2023

The Tricolor Savory Pie is a dish that offers a visual homage to the colors of the Italian flag, using ingredients that represent green, white, and red. The base of a savory pie can be made with puff pastry or shortcrust pastry, and then it can be stuffed with a variety of ingredients. Here is a classic recipe:

Ingredients

  • 1 roll of puff pastry or shortcrust pastry
  • 200g of ricotta
  • 200g of fresh or frozen spinach
  • 150g of cherry tomatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 100g of mozzarella
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil as needed

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  2. If you are using fresh spinach, wash it and cook it in a pan with a drizzle of oil until it wilts. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw it and squeeze out well to remove excess water.
  3. Spread the puff pastry or shortcrust in a previously oiled or parchment paper-lined pie dish.
  4. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and then spread half of this mixture over the base of the pie.
  5. Distribute the spinach over the ricotta layer, forming a first green layer.
  6. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and distribute half of it over the spinach.
  7. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and create a second layer, this time red.
  8. Add the rest of the mozzarella cubes.
  9. Cover with the remaining ricotta mixture.
  10. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the surface appears golden brown and the pastry is well cooked.
  11. Let the pie cool down a bit before serving.

This recipe features a nice contrast of flavors and colors that well represent the Italian tricolor. It can be an excellent dish to serve as an appetizer or as a single dish for a light meal accompanied by a fresh salad.

Curiosity

The Tricolor Savory Pie is often prepared for the Italian Republic Day or during sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics to strengthen the sense of patriotism and national unity at the table.