Sicily Torta Rustica Recipes

TORTA RUSTICA

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.

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.

TORTA RUSTICA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Pour in the oil and stir with a fork until mixture crumbles evenly. While stirring with a fork, add water, a little at a time, just until mixture start to come together.
• Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in the refrigerator, about 1 hour.
• While dough rests, make the filling. Add olive oil to a large sauté pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add the crumbled sausage meat and stir. Sauté until meat is just cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• In the same pan, add the spinach and let wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for a few seconds and plunge in cold water.) Drain spinach and squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer to same bowl as the sausage. Add the ricotta, pecorino, asiago and beaten eggs. Stir the mixture until well combined.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a pizza pan or large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll 2/3 of the dough into a circle, about 14-inch diameter and 1/16-inch thick. Transfer to a large round pizza pan or large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with olive oil. Spread filling over dough evenly. Roll remaining dough out to 14-inches (not quite as thin as strudel) and place over top. Evenly dock top of dough with fork so steam from the filling can escape. Crimp edge of dough to seal, twisting dough with your fingers.
• Brush top with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until golden and crisp, about 30 to 40 minutes.

TORTA RUSTICA WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Alternatively, mix together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add butter, working the pieces into the flour with your hands, squeezing and pinching them until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
• Add egg, egg white and lemon zest, and pulse after each addition. If working by hand, whisk together egg, egg white and lemon zest in a separate bowl, then mix into the butter mixture. Slowly add iced wine, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse or mix by hand until the dough just comes together. You may not need all the liquid. The dough should be moist, but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather and press it into a ball. Divide into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other, and shape into disks. Wrap the disks tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make the filling: If your ricotta seems watery, put it in a sieve and let it drain while you cook the spinach.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and a large pinch of salt, and continue to cook until spinach is very dry, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. If any liquid accumulates as the spinach sits, pour it out of the bowl (you don't want it to water down the ricotta).
• In a food processor, purée drained ricotta and eggs until just combined and smooth. Add to the bowl with the spinach and fold in mozzarella, pecorino, ham (if using), parsley, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red-pepper flakes and nutmeg. Set aside when rolling out dough (or chill for up to 4 hours).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger pastry dough disk to a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the dough up the sides of the pan. Scrape filling into crust and spread evenly. Roll out second pastry disk to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut 1/2-inch-wide strips and weave into a lattice on top of the filling. Seal, trim and crimp the edges. Brush the top of the torta with the egg wash.
• Place torta on sheet pan and bake until crust is crisp and brown, and filling is firm, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before serving.

LORETTA PAGANINI'S TORTA RUSTICA

Steps:

• Make the spinach layer: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for one minute. Add spinach, basil, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until moisture evaporates from spinach and spinach begins to stick slightly to skillet, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool completely.
• Make the egg layer: In a large bowl, whisk eggs, salt and pepper until well combined. In a medium skillet, preferably non-stick, heat one tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add half of the egg mixture and cook, stirring often until eggs are soft-set, about 1-1/2 minutes. Transfer to another bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and eggs. Set aside to cool completely.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and place a baking sheet on the rack. (The baking sheet is important as it helps set the bottom crust and catches any dripping butter from the cooking pastry.) Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Lightly butter the inside of a 9-inch round spring form pan. Tightly wrap bottom of pan with a double thickness of aluminum foil.
• Torte Rustic continued:.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one sheet of puff pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Carefully transfer pastry to prepared pan ? pressing dough against sides of pan and letting excess pastry hang over edges. Brush inside of dough lightly with some of the beaten egg white.
• Sprinkle dough with half of the Parmigiano Reggiano and Gruyere cheese. Layer with half of the smoked ham, then half of the peppers. Spread with half of the spinach mixture, then half of the beaten eggs. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Roll out remaining sheet of pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Center the pastry on top of filling. Cut a small hole out of the center of the pastry to allow steam to escape. Press layers of dough together firmly around edges of spring form pan. With a sharp knife or scissors, trim away excess dough at pan?s edge, leaving a 1/2 inch wide border of dough. (If desired, reserve pastry trimmings and cut out decorations). Roll up dough into a thick rope and pinch and flute with fingers to seal. Brush top of dough lightly with some of the yolk glaze. If using, place pastry decorations on top and brush decorations lightly with glaze.
• Place spring form pan on preheated baking sheet in oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F and continue baking until golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. (The torte can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered tightly with foil and refrigerated). Remove sides of pan. Use a serrated knife to cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

SICILY TORTA RUSTICA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.
• Heat oil in medium-size nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes. Add sausage slices; sauté until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat.
• Combine ricotta cheese, eggs, provolone, prosciutto, Parmesan, salt and pepper in large bowl. Stir in the sausage mixture.
• Roll out both pie crusts on lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin to two 14-inch rounds. Place one round in bottom of prepared pan. With fingers, lightly press crust into bottom and up sides of pan, without stretching dough.
• Spoon cheese mixture into pastry-lined pan. Place second crust on top of cheese; trim edges of pastry even with rim of pan. Brush pastry with beaten egg yolk.
• Bake on the bottom oven rack in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. (If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil).
• Turn oven off; let the pie continue to cook in the oven for another 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.