Pizzagna Recipes

PIZZAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and salt the water.
• While the water boils, combine ricotta, Parmiagiano, parsley and pepperoni in a large bowl and reserve.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan.
• When the oil is hot, add the peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms.
• Saute 6 to 8 minutes until tender and mushrooms are dark.
• Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
• Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to low.
• Add a ladle of starchy cooking water to the ricotta just before you drain the pasta.
• Drain pasta. Pour back into pot and toss with ricotta and pepperoni mixture.
• Pour pasta into a baking dish and top evenly with peppers, onion and mushroom sauce.
• Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
• Take out of oven and top with a layer of mozzarella, oregano and red pepper flakes.
• Place under hot broiler and melt cheese until golden and bubbly.
• Remove and serve with crusty bread.

PIZZAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and salt the water.
• While the water boils combine ricotta, Parmigiano, parsley and pepperoni in a large bowl and reserve.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute 6 to 8 minutes until tender and mushrooms are dark. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to low.
• Add a ladle of starchy cooking water to the ricotta just before you drain the pasta. Drain pasta then toss with ricotta and pepperoni mixture. Pour pasta into a flameproof baking dish and top evenly with peppers, onion and mushroom sauce. Top with a layer of mozzarella, oregano and red pepper flakes. Place under hot broiler and melt cheese until golden and bubbly. Remove and serve with crusty bread.

PIZZAGAINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Press 1 pie crust each into the bottom of two 9-inch pie pans.
• Mix ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and eggs together in a large bowl. Roughly chop the pepperoni, sweet capicola and hot capicola; fold in chopped meats. Spoon half the mixture into each of the 2 prepared pie pans.
• Top each pie with a pie crust, crimping the edges together creating a seal. Brush the top of each pie with egg white.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

PEPPERONI PIZZAGNA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the sausage to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked mushrooms, ham, olives and about 3/4 cup pepperoni; season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush an 8-inch round springform pan with olive oil and line with foil, leaving an overhang. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs; drain and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Combine 2 cups mozzarella, the ricotta, parmesan and eggs in a bowl; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Wrap some lasagna noodles around the inside of the pan, overlapping slightly and trimming as needed. Cover the bottom of the pan with more noodles, overlapping slightly and letting them extend up the side of the pan. Spread 2 cups sauce in the pan and top with half of the ricotta mixture; cover with a layer of noodles. Repeat with 2 more cups sauce, the remaining ricotta mixture and another layer of noodles, letting them extend up the side of the pan (you might not use all the noodles). Top with the remaining sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup pepperoni.
• Bake until browned and bubbling, about 1 hour (tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly). Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour, then lift out of the pan using the foil. Remove the foil and slice.