This is a very easy, though effective idea for a springtime savory pie – perfect as an appetizer or as a main course. The star ingredients? Peas! Extraordinarily sweet and crunchy this time of year – with the addition of tender zucchini and an abundance of mint to add a little something special to the mix. And the pie dough? Homemade. With whole-wheat flour.
The recipe for whole-wheat savory pie dough
Preparing a traditional pie dough is really very simple because you don’t need to let it rise and it contains few ingredients. For this recipe, just knead together 1 cup of whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of water and 4 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil using your hands. Add a pinch of salt if you want, but you don’t have to; the filling will still be delicious without. Once the dough is ready, it doesn’t need to rest; you can immediately roll it out with a rolling pin and fill it! Want to make it a little spicy? Add a pinch of curry powder.
Savory pie filling
For the savory pie filling, we decided on peas – the perfect springtime veggie! Then there’s the zucchini. (Choose between slicing these thin or cooking them raw like the peas.) To cook, just brown them in a pan with oil and chopped onion for a few minutes. They must maintain their consistency without breaking completely, however – so be careful! To bring the peas and zucchini together, add fresh cheese to the mixture. Ricotta is ideal. If you prefer a more delicate flavor, try robiola (just keep at least a little ricotta in the mixture for texture). For a stronger taste, mix ricotta with feta cheese.
To fill the pie, you will need: 1 lb cow's milk ricotta cheese or 7 oz robiola and 11 oz of ricotta. Alternatively, use 3 oz feta with 11 oz ricotta cheese.
Assembling savory pie
Once the savory pie dough is ready, roll it out (not too thin!) and give it a round shape. Prick the bottom with a fork and in the meantime, prepare the filling. Mix the ricotta (or your selected cheese mixture) with an egg and a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Add salt, pepper and fresh mint, followed by the peas and zucchini (cooked or raw) – setting some aside for the top. Pour the mixture into the base of a pie dish placed on a baking tray or inside a cake mold covered with baking parchment. Decorate the surface with the remaining peas and zucchini. You can either create a kind of decoration with the leftover dough by making a frame shape, or simply pull the remaining dough towards the center of the pie. Bake at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes.