The rustic pie is a savory pie filled with rice, zucchini, and parmesan, to which bacon, speck, or ham can be added. It is a tasty and rich single dish that should be eaten cold to fully enjoy it; in fact, it is one of my favorite savory dishes for buffets, as it can be prepared in advance, is very easy, and can be served as finger food when cut into small wedges. It always receives great success, and I personalize it each time based on what I have in the pantry and fridge. It is a delicious leftover recipe for cheeses or cold cuts. The idea for this succulent savory pie comes from an old Bertolini recipe book.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 12/14 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 rolls Puff Pastry
- 1/2 cup cup Rice (Carnaroli, Arborio)
- 3 Zucchini
- 15 Green olives
- 1/2 cup cup Parmesan cheese
- 3.5 oz oz Speck or Bacon
- 1 Whole egg
- 3 tbsp Milk
- to taste Fine salt
- to taste Ground pepper
Preparation
1) Boil the rice in salted water for only 10 minutes, drain it well, put it in a large bowl, and add 3 tablespoons of cold milk (which will stop the cooking of the rice), mix, and let it cool.
2) Meanwhile, wash the zucchini under running water, remove the waste parts, and slice them thinly into rounds.
3) Add the zucchini to the rice, the grated cheese, the pitted and coarsely chopped green olives, the speck (or bacon) cubed, a pinch of ground pepper, and finally the whole egg. Mix all the ingredients to blend them perfectly; if the mixture is too dense and hard, add another tablespoon of milk.
4) Preheat the oven to 392°F.
5) Roll out a sheet of puff pastry and place it well in a pie pan lined with parchment paper. Fill with the stuffing and cover with the other roll, sealing the edges perfectly by rolling the edges of the two pastries together to form a cord; make a small hole in the puff pastry to allow excess steam to escape during cooking.
6) As soon as the oven reaches temperature, bake the rustic pie in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the puff pastry is puffed and golden (cooking times can vary depending on the type of oven).
Immediately remove the rustic rice pie from the oven and let it cool, without touching or cutting it, for at least 10 minutes, because it might break.
Bon appétit
Notes
An additional idea. We can make our rustic pie even tastier by adding a mix of Pecorino Romano and Parmesan.
