NEAPOLITAN TORTA RUSTICA
Number of servings : 6 Prep time: 3 hours Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Type of meal :
Number of servings : 6
Prep time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Type of meal : | Main Courses | Main Courses
Special diet :
Ingredients
Pie crust
60 ml warm water 1/4 cup
10 ml sugar 2 tsp.
1 envelope active dry yeast
100 g flour 1 cup
5 ml salt 1 tsp.
150 g melted butter 2/3 cup
4 eggs
Filling
120 g pancetta, diced 4 oz.
75 ml extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 cup
4 shallots, chopped
1 small cauliflower, in pieces
796 ml diced tomatoes 28 oz.
8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
4 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
To taste salt and freshly ground pepper
200 g fresh bread, crusts removed,torn in small pieces 3 cups
70 g Parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 cup
200 g Havarti cheese, grated 1 3/4 cups
150 g frozen green peas 1 cup
6 eggs, hard-boiled
120 g Mozzarella cheese, diced 1 cup
2 Italian sausages, cooked and sliced
Directions
For the pastry
Preheat oven to 200°C/ 400°F.
Lightly oil a 20-cm (8-in.) springform pan or a 1.5-litre (6-cup) earthenware baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, sugar and yeast and let sit for10 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt, then add the eggs, melted butter and yeast mixture. Blend the ingredients until the dough forms a ball.
Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow dough to rise for 2 hours.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface, punch down, and roll out until it is twice the diameter of the baking pan.
Place the rolled dough in the pan, stretching so that it amply overhangs the edges of the pan. Set aside.
–Filling
In a saucepan, sauté the pancetta in the olive oil over high heat for 2 minutes.
Add the shallots and cauliflower pieces. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for a few minutes.
Add the canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes then turn the heat off.
Stir in the bread, grated Parmesan, grated Havarti and frozen peas. Blend gently.
–Assembly
Pour half the filling into the pan, and arrange the eggs in a circle, pushing them halfway into the filling so that they stand upright. Sprinkle with the diced Mozzarella, making sure the centre is well covered.
Arrange the cooked sausage slices over the top, then cover with the remaining filling.
With your hands, press down lightly on the mixture. Close the pie by folding the dough in towards the centre, leaving a hole for the steam to escape.
Reduce heat to 180°C /350°F and bake the torta on the middle rack for one hour.
–VARIATION
You may use romanesco broccoli instead of cauliflower.
Nutritional information:
