Deep Dish Italian Cheese Pie Food

DEEP DISH CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Place the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed but still visible in chunks. While pulsing, add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is just wet enough to hold together when pinched between your fingers.
• Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll the dough out into a circle about 1/8-inch thick, and then fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Dock the crust all over using a fork. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Line the crust with foil and fill with dried beans or baking marbles. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, and then remove the foil and beans and bake until the crust just begins to brown, another 15 minutes.
• For the filling: While the crust is baking, combine the farmer cheese, sugar and cardamom in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and whip together until well incorporated. Add 1 egg at a time on medium speed, waiting until fully incorporated and smooth before each new addition. Stir in the heavy cream.
• Fill the crust with the cheese filling and bake until the top is browned and the filling is just slightly jiggly, 45 minutes. Let cool, and then eat the pie. Serve with orange marmalade.

ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring 2 or more quarts of water to boil on stove. In the bottom rack of the preheated oven, place a baking dish such as a 9×13-inch baking dish and fill with the hot, boiled water. Place another oven rack directly over that to next rack position.
• In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and sugar. Stir to combine.
• In a smaller bowl combine egg yolks, milk, olive oil, and both extracts.
• Make a hole in the center of the flour and pour in liquid. With a wooden spoon, mix to combine. (If the mixture gets too difficult to combine with a wooden spoon, used your hands to finish mixing).
• Flour your countertop well and place the dough ball in the center, pressing to form a round disc. Keep flouring, pressing and flipping. Flour a rolling pin and gently roll to a circle an inch or two larger than a deep dish 9-inch pie plate.
• Either fold the dough in half and place over half the pie plate, flipping other half over or roll the dough onto your rolling pin than back over the pie plate. Again, the dough is soft and delicate so be gentle.
• Use your fingers to form and press the dough into the confines of the pie dish, crimping the top edge all the way around (as you would any other pie) by pinching with thumb and index finger. Set aside, the shell is not pre-baked.
• Make the filling by placing the ricotta in a large bowl and mixing in sugar until combined.
• Add whole eggs, egg whites and vanilla and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. If lumpy, use a wire whisk to smooth out.
• Pour directly into unbaked crust. Cover the crust edge with foil or pie crust shield so the edges don't get too browned as the pie bakes.
• Place pie in the center of oven on the rack over the water bath and bake for one hour and ten minutes. Turn off oven but leave the pie in the oven for ten more minutes. (Don't open the oven door during any of the time that the pie is in the oven.)
• Carefully remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. (Cool completely before refrigerating - if you put the pie in the refrigerator while still warm, it will weep slightly and collect moisture on top.) Chill overnight uncovered.
• Once chilled, cut and serve.

SPAGHETTI PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a deep-dish pie plate with olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente. (This is a good time to make the tomato sauce.) Drain then transfer the spaghetti to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and toss to coat. Set aside.
• Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Pour over the spaghetti and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared pie plate and spread to make a "pie crust."
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder and onion powder; cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the tomato sauce over the turkey and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Place the ricotta, Italian seasoning and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan in a bowl and stir to combine. Spread over the pasta, then layer on the meat sauce and finally, sprinkle with the mozzarella.
• Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the pasta is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
• Let the spaghetti pie cool slightly, then cut into wedges and serve.
• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.

ITALIAN CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• In a very large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except crusts.
• Mix well, making sure that all ingredients are distributed through the ricotta mixture evenly.
• Spoon the ingredients equally into the pie crusts.
• For a more decorative look, apply strips of pie crust to the top of the pie in a basketweave pattern.
• Bake at 350 degrees until the top of the pie is a dark golden brown and the center is set, approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Allow pies to cool for about 45 minutes before slicing.
• Serve warm or cold.

RICOTTA PIE (OLD ITALIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• Beat the 12 eggs, 2 cups sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Stir in the ricotta cheese and the chocolate chips, if using (see Cook's Note). Set aside.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and 1 cup sugar together. Cut in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in 4 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Divide dough into 4 balls, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two deep-dish pie plates.
• Roll out 2 of the balls to fit into the pie pans. Do not make the crust too thick, as it will expand during cooking. Do not flute the edges of the dough. Roll out the other 2 balls of dough and cut each into 8 narrow strips for the top of the crust. (Alternately, you can use cookie cutters and place the cutouts on the top of the pies.)
• Pour the ricotta filling evenly into the pie crusts. Top each pie with 8 narrow strips of dough or cookie cut-outs. Brush top of pie with milk for shine, if desired. Place foil on the edge of crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes; remove foil. Rotate pies on the rack so they will bake evenly. Continue to bake until a knife inserted in the center of each pie comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool completely on wire racks. Refrigerate until serving.

DEEP-DISH ITALIAN CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F.
• Roll 1 pastry sheet into 16-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Press lightly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch springform pan sprayed with cooking spray, extending edge of pastry over top edge of pan.
• Mix 4 eggs and all remaining ingredients except peppers; spread half onto bottom of pastry crust. Top with peppers and remaining cheese mixture.
• Roll remaining pastry surface to 12-inch circle. Cut out 9-inch circle; place over filling. Pinch edges of pastry together to seal. Cut pastry trimmings into desired shape with small cookie cutter; arrange on top crust. Beat remaining egg; brush onto crust. Place pan on baking sheet.
• Bake 40 min. or until golden brown. Cool 30 min. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen crust; carefully remove rim.

DEEP-DISH CHEESE, ONION & POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a small bowl, mix the grated cheddar with the crème fraîche, then set aside. Grease and lightly flour a ceramic or metal pie dish, or shallow cake tin, about 23cm wide. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface until large enough to line the tin with a little overhang.
• Place a layer of potatoes over the tart and scatter over some of the sliced onions, spring onions and chunks of cheese. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika. Layer over more potatoes, scatter again with more onions and cheese, then splodge over half the crème fraîche mix. Repeat with 2 more layers (the potatoes will come up way above the pastry), pushing the filling down slightly, then finish with the remaining crème fraîche mix.
• Roll the remaining pastry so it fits over the potatoes. Brush the sides with egg, then lay the pastry over the top. Squeeze the edges together and trim with a knife. Crimp the sides and brush the top all over with egg. Place the pie on a baking sheet, bake for 30 mins, reduce the temperature to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4, then carry on baking for 1 hr until golden. Leave the pie to rest for 10 mins, then serve straight from the dish cut into slices, with a salad or baked beans on the side.

DEEP DISH ITALIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Brown beef in large skillet.
• Drain, add green pepper and cook 2 minutes.
• Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to skillet along with tomatoes and all seasonings.
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle half of Parmesan cheese over bottom of pie crust.
• Cover with half of meat mixture, then half of Mozzarella, followed by the remaining meat mixture.
• Bake pie on cookie sheet 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese and return to oven 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

SPAGHETTI PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente; drain., In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat 5-7 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings and sugar., In a large bowl, whisk egg whites, melted butter and Parmesan cheese until blended. Add spaghetti and toss to coat. Press spaghetti mixture onto bottom and up sides of a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate, forming a crust. Spread cottage cheese onto bottom; top with beef mixture. , Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.