Vegetarian Casatiello

The casatiello is a savory pie from the Neapolitan culinary tradition, filled with cold cuts and cheeses, and traditionally prepared for the Easter holidays. However, to make it vegetarian, it’s possible to replace the animal-derived ingredients with others more suitable for a vegetarian diet. Here is a vegetarian version of the casatiello:

Ingredients

• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 200 ml of warm water
• 120 g of vegetable lard (you can also use butter or margarine if you are not vegan)
• 1 cube of fresh brewer’s yeast (25 g)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 100 g of grated cheese (parmigiano, pecorino, or vegetarian versions without animal rennet)
• 200 g of mixed hard or semi-hard cheeses, cut into cubes (such as asiago, provolone dolce)
• 100 g of smoked provola cheese, cut into cubes
• 50 g of pitted green olives
• 2-3 tablespoons of grated parmigiano for sprinkling
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Hard-boiled eggs (optional, omit if you do not want eggs)

Preparation

1. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in a glass of warm water with the sugar and let it rest for a few minutes until it starts to foam.
2. Place the flour in a mound on a work surface and add the vegetable lard, grated cheese, a pinch of salt, and the yeast and water mixture in the center.
3. Start kneading, adding as much warm water as needed to get a soft and elastic dough. Work the dough for at least 10 minutes.
4. Form a ball, place it in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
5. Once risen, take the dough and gently incorporate the cubed cheeses, the olives, and a pinch of pepper.
6. Butter and flour a ring mold (a panettone mold will also work).
7. Put the dough in the mold, forming a hole in the center. If you want to add hard-boiled eggs, arrange them neatly by pressing them slightly into the dough.
8. Sprinkle the surface with grated parmigiano.
9. Let it rise again for about an hour, until the dough swells to the edge of the mold.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 45 minutes, or until the casatiello is golden and cooked through (do the toothpick test).
11. Let it cool before unmolding and serving.

Fun Fact

The casatiello takes its name from the word “caso”, which in Neapolitan means cheese, a fundamental element in the original recipe. It is a symbol of abundance and sharing, and each Neapolitan family has its own personal variant.

Enjoy your meal and have a good preparation of your vegetarian casatiello!