Pizza Rustica alla Grottese

Name: Pizza Rustica alla Grottese (Savory Carnival Pastry with Pecorino, Mozzarella, and Dried Sausage)
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: ¼ cup milk or water; 10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter; 1 large egg; 2½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup sugar; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ pound mozzarella, thinly sliced; ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 3 large eggs; 1 pound whole-milk ricotta, commercial or homemade; ½ cup grated pecorino romano cheese; Pinch salt; ½ pound dried sausage, such as cacciatorino or soppresatta, peeled and sliced

Savory Carnival Pastry with Pecorino, Mozzarella, and Dried Sausage

Preparation info

Makes
10 to 12
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Great Italian Desserts

By Nick Malgieri

Published 1990

About

This most typical savory pie is served at carnevale (the day before Ash Wednesday) and then again at Easter. The name derives from the village of Grottaminarda. The dough is sweet — this is the traditional way of preparing it. If the combination is not appealing, leave out the sugar; but note that the dough may be slightly dry and may need a bit more water to moisten it.

Pizza rustica makes an excellent appetizer or a main course for a light meal, as well as a convenie