Rustic Italian Pie
- Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 2 h
- Serving: 8
- Cost: Average
- Note + the rest time of the shortcrust pastry
PRESENTATION
When spring rolls into Italy, there's really nothing like a crostata rustica to kick off the season. This isn’t just any old savory tart; it’s a true crostata salata italiana. Picture this: tender green peas, zucchini slices, and crisp asparagus all wrapped up in a buttery, golden crust. Seriously good stuff. Plus, what makes this brisée pastry stand out is the grated cheese mixed right into the dough—giving every bite an extra savory kick.
You'll see it at family gatherings, for sure, cut into neat little cubes. It’s kinda like a clever way to showcase the season’s best veggies. Italians just love keeping it rustic and simple, so the fresh flavors can really, really shine. Every bite has that nostalgic, country vibe—it's like a little taste of how folks across Italy have enjoyed it for generations.
So, here's the deal: serving a ricetta crostata rustica makes for a tasty spring lunch or even a standout buffet dish. The filling? Creamy ricotta with a hint of nutmeg, offering a moist and almost creamy texture. Pairs perfectly, I gotta say, with the slight crunch from the veggies. It's super, super popular for a reason. The crostata rustica verdure balances light and rich flavors beautifully.
And look, while there are endless versions across Italy—some with spinach or artichokes, depending on what's local—the core idea stays the same. Keep it simple and fresh. Let those flavors shine. This crostata rustica facile is not fussy at all, yet it looks amazing on a table. Trust me, it vanishes quickly once people start tasting it.
For anyone after a classic ricetta tradizionale italiana, this dish is a total crowd-pleaser. Those crispy edges coming out of the oven—yeah, they fill your kitchen with an aroma that's super hard to resist. It’s the perfect way to savor a bit of Italy at home, bringing everyone together over something delicious. Really, can't go wrong.
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry (for a 11-inch diameter pan)
- Butter 0.9 cup (200 g)
- Type 00 flour 3 ¼ cups (400 g)
- Water 9 ½ tbsp (140 ml) - cold
- Grana Padano PDO cheese 3.5 oz (100 g) - to grate
- For the filling
- Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup (400 g)
- Asparagus 0.9 lb (400 g)
- Fontal cheese 5.3 oz (150 g)
- Whole milk 0.6 cup (150 ml)
- Peas ¾ cup (100 g)
- Carrots 0.9 cup (100 g)
- Zucchini 0.9 cup (100 g)
- Basil 6 leaves
- Grana Padano PDO cheese 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Black olives 0.3 cup (50 g) - pitted
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Nutmeg to taste
- For brushing
- Eggs 1
How to prepare Rustic Italian Pie
To make the rustic Italian pie, start by preparing the shortcrust pastry: To prepare the shortcrust pastry, put the sifted flour, cold butter from the fridge cut into pieces, a pinch of salt in a blender, and blend everything until you get a sandy and floury mixture 1. Place the obtained mixture on a work surface in the classic fountain shape, add the grated Parmesan in the center 2, and gradually pour in the ice-cold water 3
and knead vigorously 4 until you get a compact, firm, and fairly elastic dough 5. Once ready, wrap your shortcrust pastry in a sheet of plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 40 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling: clean the asparagus, trim them with a knife by removing the tougher part and peel the stalks with a vegetable peeler to remove the outer fibrous part. Then boil them in the special asparagus pot 6, leaving the tips out.
Once they are cooked, cut them into rounds 7 taking care to keep the tips whole (they will be used for garnishing). Wash, peel, and dice the carrots 8 and zucchini 9.
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil 10, add the diced carrots 11, a whole clove of garlic, the peas, diced zucchini 12 and sauté the vegetables for a few minutes: they should remain crunchy and not fall apart.
Then turn off the heat and incorporate the asparagus 13, add salt, pepper, and season the vegetables with basil leaves. Sift the ricotta in a sieve 14 and collect it in a small bowl, flavor with nutmeg, add the grated Parmesan 15,
pour the milk 16 and mix the cheese mixture to obtain a smooth and soft cream. At this point, add the sautéed vegetables to the mixture 17, slice the black olives into rounds 18
and add them to the filling 19 along with the basil leaves 20, mixing with a spatula. Finally, take the Fontal cheese 20, cut it into cubes 21
and add it to the filling 22. Set the filling aside and take the shortcrust pastry: remove the plastic wrap and roll it out on a floured work surface into a round sheet about 1/4 inch thick 23. Wrap the sheet around the rolling pin and unroll it on an 11-inch diameter pan. Trim the border with a smooth cutter 24 removing the excess dough (which you can re-knead to make the lattice strips).
Pierce the bottom of the pastry with a fork 25, so it won't puff up too much during baking. Then cut a parchment paper disc the diameter of the pan, wet it, squeeze it, and place it on the pastry. Cover the base with dried legumes or specific weights for blind baking 26. Bake the shortcrust pastry in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 30 minutes (if fan-assisted, at 320°F for 20 minutes). Remove the pan from the oven 27, take out the weights and parchment paper 27
and then fill it with the vegetable and cheese filling 28. Roll out the leftover shortcrust pastry and cut strips with a fluted pastry wheel 29 and apply them over the surface, intersecting them diagonally, like a classic sweet pie 30.
Finally, decorate the edge with a strip of dough the same length as the perimeter of the pan, twisted into a helix shape 31. Brush the surface with a beaten egg 32 and bake again at 350°F for 70 minutes (if fan-assisted, at 320°F for 60 minutes). Once cooked, remove the pie from the oven, garnish it with the asparagus tips 33, and serve it at the table!