The savory pie with zucchini, cooked ham, and stracchino cheese is a delicious and tasty rustic pie, perfect for resolving a dinner quickly, but also as an appetizer on days when you have guests, both for lunch and dinner.
For cooking the zucchini, I chose to use the recipe for my sandy zucchini, because they are super quick to prepare and add an extra touch of flavor compared to zucchini cooked in the traditional pan way, thanks to the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan.
In short, if you want to prepare a quick main dish, tasty and not too ordinary, this savory pie with zucchini, cooked ham, and stracchino cheese is perfect for you!
Below, before listing the few and simple steps, I leave you with other ideas for savory pies that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for the SAVORY PIE WITH ZUCCHINI, COOKED HAM, AND STRACCHINO CHEESE
- 1 package puff pastry (round)
- 3 zucchini (medium)
- 7 oz stracchino cheese
- 5 oz cooked ham (sliced)
- 3.5 oz mozzarella for pizza
- to taste breadcrumbs (preferably coarse)
- to taste grated parmesan
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste salt (and optional pepper)
Tools for the SAVORY PIE WITH ZUCCHINI, COOKED HAM, AND STRACCHINO CHEESE
- Baking Pan between 9.5 and 11 inches in diameter
- Frying Pan non-stick
Steps to prepare the SAVORY PIE WITH ZUCCHINI, COOKED HAM, AND STRACCHINO CHEESE
First, take care of the zucchini: for this savory pie, I wanted to use the recipe for my sandy zucchini in a pan (you can find it by clicking HERE), which will make the final result even tastier and more flavorful, also giving a slightly crunchy note.
Follow the recipe for the sandy zucchini, then set them aside to cool down, meanwhile, you will take care of the other quick steps.
You only need to assemble your savory pie. Roll out the puff pastry and place it along with its parchment paper into the baking pan you chose; as I mentioned in the ‘tools’ section, I recommend using a low-rimmed pie pan, typical for tarts, with a diameter between 9.5 and 11 inches.
Make some holes with a fork on the puff pastry, then gently distribute the stracchino cheese on it, which will be spread at the base of your savory pie.
Proceed by distributing the slices of cooked ham evenly, and on top of the cooked ham add the mozzarella for pizza, cut into fairly thin slices.
Finally pour the sandy zucchini, again making sure to distribute them evenly.
Fold the edges of the pastry inward, cut off the excess parchment paper, and finally sprinkle the surface with a final small handful of breadcrumbs, but only if you have coarse breadcrumbs, otherwise you can easily skip adding it.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F on the middle rack for about 35-40 minutes. Note that once your savory pie is well golden, it might still be a bit watery inside, so cover it with aluminum foil for the last few minutes of cooking to allow the water released by the mozzarella and stracchino to evaporate adequately.
Here is your savory pie with zucchini, cooked ham, and stracchino cheese ready. Try it because it’s worth it.
Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving and enjoy your meal!
Storage and Variations
If you have some slices left over, this savory pie, like all the others, keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days, preferably covered with plastic wrap or stored in a suitable container.
Savory pies, as you know, lend themselves to many possibilities for variations; not for nothing they are considered a bit like a meal saver because you can fill them with whatever you have in the fridge at the moment.
To give you some ideas, you can replace the zucchini with eggplants or, why not, with bell peppers.
Instead of stracchino cheese, you can use a spreadable cheese, and instead of mozzarella, you can use any stringy cheese like provolone or even brie.
Instead of puff pastry, you can obviously use shortcrust pastry or crazy dough.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I substitute for zucchini?
Instead of zucchini, you can use eggplants or bell peppers.
How to substitute stracchino cheese?
You can substitute stracchino cheese with a spreadable cheese like robiola or Philadelphia.
How to substitute mozzarella?
You can substitute mozzarella with any other stringy cheese, such as sweet provolone.
Can I use shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry?
Yes, certainly.
