Tuesday, April 3, 2012

TWD: Pizza Rustica



I have always loved a good ricotta-based entree--especially when the ricotta happens to be in a savory pie.  I have also had a long-standing relationship with prosciutto.  I simply can't get enough of it.  So, I was obviously happy to be makng this dish this month.  Also, because I could serve it for dinner, I could take care of  my TWD obligations and a few nights worth of dinner all at the same time.  It really doesn't get any better than that.

Over all, the pizza was good, but not quite as good as I had hoped.  To me, the flavor of this dish was a little flat.  I think it could have used more herbs and spices to liven it up a bit.  I also think that it would have been good with some spinach, mushrooms, and artichokes accompanying the prosciutto. 

Before making the recipe this time, I read the P & Q discussions and made some changes in response to some of the criticisms of the recipe people posted there.  First,I cut the amount of sugar in the dough in half because people were saying it was too sweet.  With only half of the amount, there was still a nice contrast between a slightly salty filling and a barely sweet dough, but the dough was not so sweet that I felt it would be better suited for a dessert. Second, I increased the amount of prosciutto to six ounces.  The recipe was very good this way and, as far as I am concerned, more prosciutto is almost always an improvement!

Much like the Irish Soda Bread, for me, this recipe isn't one that I would make again and again as it is written, but I would more than happily make it with some more flavorful additions.  I might even make it again for Easter, but before I do that, I have to make my Grandmother's traditional Italian Easter Bread.  It is a simple yeast sweet bread that we eat every year on Easter Sunday.  It is really easy to make and flavored with lemon rind and cinnamon, which are two very traditional Italian dessert flavors.  I will be posting that recipe later this week.

If you are interested in trying this recipe for yourself, please visit Capital Region Dining or The Place They Call Home.

10 comments:

  1. Very nice.
    More proscuitto is never a bad idea :-)

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  2. I'm with you, I would also add more ingredients the next time, it was good but it could have been much better!!!

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  3. Nice looking pie! So pretty on the plate w/ the salad. I really like ricotta too, but I'm not a huge fan of prosciutto, so I substituted some thinly sliced ham from the deli and added just a bit extra for hubby. I'm excited to read your post on the Easter bread. It sounds yummy!

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  4. I liked the sweet dough, but I think I should've varied with the filling ingredients. Yours looks tasty!

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  5. Lovely looking Pizza Rustica! I actually enjoyed this…I did add sun-dried tomatoes to mine. I also, make an Easter bread every Easter! It’s my Aunt Emma's recipe and it wouldn’t seem like Easter without it!

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  6. Julia,

    Salad compliments this pie so well. I almost want to bake another one...now. :)
    Nice photos too.

    ~ Carmen
    http://bakingismyzen.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/twd-baking-with-julia-pizza-rustica/

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  7. Beautifully done! I do think this recipe lends itself to lots of tweaks...I'd love some spinach and mushrooms :)

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  8. I agree! I think this is a recipe that lends itself to lots of variations. Great job!

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  9. I skipped this one but it isn't at all what I expected pizza rustica to be! Looks delicious.

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  10. This looks lovely! This is one that I skipped (because I didn't read the recipe and thought it was an actual pizza) but I'm sort of wishing I'd made it, because I do like a good quiche. Ah well.

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