Savory cassata
- Energy Kcal 438
- Carbohydrates g 36.7
- of which sugars g 7.9
- Protein g 20.2
- Fats g 23.4
- of which saturated fat g 11.35
- Fiber g 4.6
- Cholesterol mg 113
- Sodium mg 557
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Prep time: 60 min
- Cook time: 30 min
- Serving: 8
- Cost: Average
- Note plus the cake resting time
PRESENTATION
Cassata salata, oh man, it's a unique twist on the classic Sicilian cassata. This version, I gotta say, flips from sweet to savory, and really catches everyone off guard. It's not the usual candied fruit and sponge cake. Nope, this one's mashed potatoes all the way. Stuffed with creamy ricotta and savory prosciutto, it's moist and a bit tangy—a nice change from your usual Italian dessert.
And the decorations? Honestly, they're where the fun really kicks in. Instead of the usual colorful fruits and green marzipan, you get fresh veggies. Seriously good stuff. Think slices of zucchini, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and leeks all arranged like edible confetti. It's a looker. This dish becomes a conversation starter the moment it hits the table. Everyone's expecting a cake and bam! They get something savory and unique. Pretty much.
Forget the oven; you won't need it here. This isn’t your typical baked ricotta cake. No way. It just chills in the fridge until it's firm and ready to slice. In Sicily, you know, people love mixing it up with different fillings—different meats or veggies—so it’s always personal. While you might spot a candied fruit cake at a celebration, cassata salata shines at big events. It's a real showstopper and tastes fantastic.
Every Sicilian region kinda adds its own flair, but what sticks is the tender, eye-catching center and that crispy veggie topping. Makes it really stand out. And look, this dish really shows off the creative and fun side of Italian cuisine. You're expecting sweet but, surprise! You get a savory delight. It's proof of how versatile and surprising food can be—really capturing Sicily's colorful spirit in each slice.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the base (for a 11-inch mold)
- Potatoes 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) - yellow-fleshed
- Eggs 2 - (medium)
- Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 3.5 oz (100 g) - (to grate)
- Nutmeg to taste
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- for the filling
- Prosciutto cotto 4.25 oz (120 g) - (sliced)
- Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 ¼ cup (300 g)
- Basil 4 leaves
- Fresh liquid cream ¼ cup (60 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- for the béchamel sauce
- Leeks 1
- Type 00 flour ¼ cup (25 g)
- Whole milk 1 cup (250 ml)
- Butter 2 tbsp (25 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- for decorating
- Carrots 2
- Cheddar cheese 2.1 oz (60 g)
- Cherry tomatoes 9
- Zucchini 1 - (medium)
- Lemon juice ½
- Mint 2 leaves
- Basil 2 leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Fine salt to taste
How to prepare Savory cassata
To make the savory cassata, start with the base dough: boil the potatoes in plenty of water 1, then, while still hot, mash them with a potato masher 2 and flavor with grated nutmeg 3,
grated Parmesan cheese 4, and add the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and mix with a spoon to combine the dough 5 (it's important that the potatoes are very hot at this step so the egg doesn't remain raw). Butter and flour a cassata pan with a diameter of 11 inches and place half of the potato dough in the pan 6,
press the mixture on the bottom and around the entire edge 7. Prepare the filling: soften the ricotta with the cream 8, scent with chopped basil leaves 9
and then fill the cassata with a layer of ricotta cream, level the surface with the back of a spoon, and lay the slices of ham on top 10. Cover with the remaining half of the mashed potatoes, level the surface with the back of a spoon (11-12), and let it firm up in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Peel the leek 13 and cut the green part into a trapezoid shape measuring about 2x1.75x2.5 inches 14, blanch them for a few minutes 15
and put them in ice water to cool and keep the color vibrant 16. Then drain them and dry them with a paper towel 17. Thinly slice the lighter part of the leek 18
and sauté it over low heat in a pan with a touch of oil for 5 minutes to soften 19. Prepare the Béchamel sauce: in a small pot, melt the butter over low heat, then incorporate the sifted flour 20 and stir to create the roux, blend with the hot milk 21
and continue to stir over low heat to thicken the sauce 22. Transfer the béchamel to a narrow container, add the sautéed leeks 23, and blend with an immersion blender to obtain a homogeneous cream, strain it to make it smooth, and set aside to cool covered with plastic wrap. Meanwhile, prepare the decorations: wash and trim the zucchini, slice them with a vegetable peeler lengthwise to obtain thin strips 24, set aside the outer slices with the skin
and place the rest in a baking dish, season with oil, lemon juice 25, salt, pepper, basil, and mint, cover with plastic wrap 26, and let them marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. After the marinating time, drain the zucchini and dry them with a paper towel 27.
Then take care of the carrots: peel and slice them thinly with a vegetable peeler lengthwise to obtain thin strips as you did with the zucchini 28. Roll up 15 carrot strips to make small roses 29. Keep aside another 8 strips that will serve as petals. Slice the cheddar 30 and then cut small diamonds from these slices.
Also cut the slices of zucchini set aside into diamonds slightly smaller than the carrots because they will be overlaid on them later 31. Everything is ready to assemble the cassata: on a serving plate, invert the now set base 32, adhere the leek leaves to the edge, spacing them apart, spread the surface with the béchamel sauce 33, and keep the remaining in the refrigerator,
fold the zucchini to create petals and place them on the outermost part of the cake to create a flower pattern 34; you will need 8 slices of zucchini, insert carrots inside each petal, place a cherry tomato between each petal 35, then create a circle with the carrot roses and place a cherry tomato in the center. Continue by inserting a cheddar diamond and a smaller zucchini diamond inside each petal. Finally, transfer the remaining béchamel to a piping bag with a small tip and trace the outline of the vegetables both on top and on the sides, creating a scalloped border 36. Your savory cassata is ready to impress your guests!