**Authentic Italian Torta Rustica Recipes: A Culinary Journey Through Centuries of Tradition**
Embark on a culinary adventure to the heart of Italy with our comprehensive guide to authentic torta rustica recipes. This savory pie, hailing from the vibrant region of Emilia-Romagna, embodies the essence of Italian cuisine with its rustic charm, diverse regional variations, and explosion of flavors. Discover the secrets behind the flaky, golden-brown crust and the delectable fillings that range from classic spinach and ricotta to hearty sausage and potato combinations. Each recipe in this article is a testament to the rich culinary heritage of Italy, ensuring a delightful experience for both novice and seasoned cooks alike.
SAUSAGE, ROASTED RED PEPPER, AND SPINACH TORTA RUSTICA
Provided by Maria Helm Sinskey
Categories Egg Breakfast Brunch Bake Christmas High Fiber Sausage Spinach Bell Pepper Fall Fontina Bon Appétit Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield 6 to 8 servings or 4 servings plus leftovers
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Place 8 baguette slices in bottom of dish; press 2 baguette slices onto each side. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add spinach; toss until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to strainer; cool. Squeeze spinach dry. Transfer to medium bowl.
- Heat same pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage. Sauté until cooked through, breaking up, about 7 minutes. Mix into spinach; mix in 1 cup cheese and peppers. Spread atop baguette slices in bottom of dish. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend.
- Whisk in last 4 ingredients. Pour over spinach mixture and stir lightly with fork to distribute evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over. Bake torta until puffed and golden and center is set, about 55 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.
TORTA RUSTICA
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mound flour on a table and make a well in the center. Pour the dissolved yeast, oil, and salt into the center of the well. Gently mix in flour with a fork. Dough should be smooth and pliable. Add warm water if dough is too dry. Roll the dough into a ball and put in an oiled bowl. Cover with a cloth and put in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces and roll out 1 of the dough balls into a round shape, about 12 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Lay in a greased 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Spread the tomatoes, mozzarella, ham, and pecorino on the dough. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Roll out the other ball and lay it on top, folding the top and bottom layers of dough together around the edges. Cut 3 small holes in top of the pie for steam to escape. Bake in the oven until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
SUE'S TORTA RUSTICA
This is an Italian family recipe handed down from my late aunt, who passed away quite a few years ago.
Provided by Susan Zeman
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 2h
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Prepare the pastry: combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in 3 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and the cold water, and mix just until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the Italian sausage. Cook and stir until the sausage is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Cool.
- Divide the pastry into two unequal pieces, about one-third and two-thirds. Roll the small piece out on a lightly floured surface. Trace the bottom of a springform pan to make a 9-inch circle; keep any scraps of dough. Transfer the circle of dough to a plate or baking sheet and refrigerate. Roll out the larger piece of dough and any leftover scraps into a large circle about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully fold the dough in half and transfer it to a 9-inch springform pan. Let the weight of the dough sink down into the sides of the pan; gently press the dough into the bottom edges. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to trim the dough to have a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate while you assemble the filling.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Combine the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 beaten eggs, the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses, and the chopped parsley in a bowl and mix well.
- Layer the filling in the pastry-lined springform pan. Place 4 slices of ham, half the pepperoni, and half of the hard-cooked egg slices in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the cubed salami and half of the cooked Italian sausage. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture on top. Repeat the layers.
- Top the filled torta with the chilled round of pastry. Fold the edges over and crimp the crust to seal. Brush the pastry with the melted butter and bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is a deep golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 635.7 calories, Carbohydrate 25.3 g, Cholesterol 320.8 mg, Fat 42.2 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 36.9 g, SaturatedFat 16.9 g, Sodium 1484.3 mg, Sugar 1.2 g
TORTA RUSTICA (SPINACH , TOMATO & CHEESE QUICHE)
This is an Italian holiday classic, but it's one that I will make all year. The sun-dried tomatoes supply a tangy sensation that complements the milder flavors of the quiche very well.
Provided by Finicky
Categories Savory Pies
Time 1h40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425. You can use the piecrust pan provided, or place one crust in a 9-inh pie pan for better presentation. Leave the other piecrust out to thaw.
- Lightly beat 1 egg; brush half the egg over bottom of crust and set the rest aside to use later on the top of the crust.
- In a large bowl, combine remaining eggs, ricotta, Asiago, and Parmesan cheese and basix; mix until well blended.
- Stir in spinach, bread crumbs and tomatoes.
- Scrape mixture into prepared piecrust; smooth top to make and even layer.
- Place second piecrust over filling.
- Brush remaining egg over the top.
- Flute edge and seal.
- Bake pie 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375; bake 20 minutes longer, or until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 600.3, Fat 38.5, SaturatedFat 14.7, Cholesterol 188.5, Sodium 799.4, Carbohydrate 41, Fiber 4.7, Sugar 3, Protein 23.5
"TORTA RUSTICA"
Steps:
- Spray a 10 inch springform pan with non-stick spray. Roll one loaf of bread dough into circle large enough to fit in bottom and up sides of pan. If dough is too elastic to work with, let it rest a few minutes and try again. Press rolled dough onto bottom and sides of pan. Arrange layers of cheeses, meats and peppers in first 1/3 of pan. Add prepared omelet layer (see note), then more cheese, peppers and meats, then the drained spinach. Press ingredients down firmly as you go. Add more meats and cheeses until level with top of pan, pressing down firmly. Roll remaining loaf of dough into circle to fit top of torta. Pinch dough together at sides and brush with egg white mixture. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until bread is golden and pulls away from sides of pan slightly. Cool completely before removing from pan. Cut into wedges to serve. FOOTNOTES: Using three beaten eggs, salt, pepper and spices to taste, make a thin omlette, remembering to keep it about the size and shape of your springform pan. Cool slightly.
TORTA RUSTICA
This savory pie is served at room temperature. Two teaspoons dried basil may be substituted for fresh basil. Use ham or prosciutto ham.
Provided by Ann
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Mix flour, cornmeal, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat 2 eggs with 3 tablespoons cold water; stir into flour mixture until dough holds together. Add another tablespoon water if needed. Shape 2/3 of the dough into flattened round; repeat with remaining 1/3. Wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until firm enough to roll.
- In another bowl, combine ricotta cheese, crumbled feta, Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, parsley, basil, and oregano until well blended.
- Have an 8 or 9 inch springform pan ready. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger portion of dough into a 15 inch diameter circle. Carefully place in ungreased pan; press lightly against bottom and sides. Trim overhanging dough to 1 inch from pan rim.
- Scatter half of the mozzarella over the bottom of the crust. Next arrange half the ham slices in an even layer. Spread with ricotta cheese mixture, then sprinkle with spinach. Cover with the remaining ham slices. Press down gently to pack layers. Add red peppers in a single layer, and top with the remaining mozzarella. Press down again.
- Roll out remaining dough to 8 or 9 inch circle. Place over filling to cover. Moisten edges, and seal crusts together. Crimp or flute edges. Crust should not extend above pan rim. Beat remaining egg, and brush over the crust. Cut several small vents in top crust for steam to escape.
- Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until crust is deep golden brown and pulls away from sides. Cool in pan on wire rack 45 minutes. Remove pan sides; cool completely. Cut into 12 wedges. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 588.9 calories, Carbohydrate 41.7 g, Cholesterol 198.5 mg, Fat 35.5 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 26.4 g, SaturatedFat 20.2 g, Sodium 1293.8 mg, Sugar 2.4 g
Tips:
- For a crispy crust, preheat your oven to the highest temperature possible before baking the torta rustica.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can make the dough by hand. Just be sure to mix the ingredients thoroughly until the dough comes together.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water.
- Don't overwork the dough, or it will become tough.
- When rolling out the dough, be sure to use a lightly floured surface.
- To prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin, use a piece of parchment paper.
- If the dough tears while you're rolling it out, just patch it up with a small piece of dough.
- Be sure to brush the edges of the dough with egg wash before baking. This will help to seal the edges and prevent them from drying out.
- Bake the torta rustica until the crust is golden brown and the filling is cooked through.
- Let the torta rustica cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Conclusion:
Torta rustica is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's also a great way to use up leftover vegetables and meats. With so many different variations to choose from, there's sure to be a torta rustica recipe that everyone will enjoy. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give torta rustica a try.
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