Italian Pizza Pie Food

ITALIAN EASTER PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined, 3 to 4 times. Add butter and egg; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 times. Sprinkle ice water over dough; pulse until dough begins to form a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half, and shape into 2 (4-inch) disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle position. Unwrap 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll to a 16-inch circle, and carefully fit into a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Prepare the filling: Cook Italian sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, breaking up sausage with a spoon until crumbled and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and let cool completely, about 15 minutes. Whisk ricotta, mozzarella, pepper, and 3 of the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in salami, capicola, and ham.
• Shingle prosciutto slices in bottom of prepared dough-lined pan. Spread ricotta mixture over prosciutto. Scatter browned sausage over ricotta mixture, pressing lightly into an even layer. Shingle red bell peppers over sausage; top with spinach and Parmesan.
• Roll remaining dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Carefully place over filling. Trim overhang so that it's even with bottom crust; pinch top and bottom crusts firmly together. Fold dough under and crimp edges.
• Lightly beat remaining egg and brush liberally over top of pie. Using a paring knife, cut 4 (1-inch) vents in top of dough in a circular pattern. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until a thermometer inserted in center of pie registers 150°F, about 30 more minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool at least 3 hours before serving. Carefully remove sides of pan, and cut pie into slices to serve. Or cool completely, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

SPAGHETTI PIZZA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup of the pizza sauce in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and the spaghetti, then toss well to coat the pasta.
• Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the spaghetti mixture and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook just until the edges are beginning to set, about 3 minutes.
• Pour the remaining 2 cups pizza sauce evenly over the top and spread evenly.
• Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella, sausage, green peppers, onions and black olives. Transfer to the oven and cook until the spaghetti mixture is fully set and the cheese is bubbly, about 12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, slide out of the pan. Top with basil. Cut into wedges and serve.

PIZZA LOVER'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, cook sausage, green pepper and onion over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Set aside., Roll half the dough into a 12-in. circle. Transfer to a greased 9-in. deep dish pie plate. Layer with half each of the following: mozzarella, Parmesan and pizza sauce. Top with the sausage mixture, pepperoni, mushrooms and 1/8 teaspoon oregano. , Roll out remaining dough to fit top of pie. Place over filling; seal edges. Layer with remaining pizza sauce, cheeses and oregano. Bake until golden brown, 18-22 minutes.

ITALIAN PIZZA POT PIE

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 425. Lightly spray a 9" deep dish pie pan. Place the 1st pie shell in bottom of pan, brush w/ 1 tbsp oil , sprinkle w/ 1 tsp Italian herbs.In large skillet, over med-high heat, add 1 tsp oil. Add sausage crumbles, ( if not already cooked,) mixed peppers and mushrooms. Cook until sausage is fully cooked, let cool.
• 2. In large bowl, mix together cream cheese, shredded cheese and 1 tsp Italian herbs. Spoon in the sausage mix, mix well. Pour in the pasta sauce, mix well and spoon into pie shell.
• 3. Top with the remaining pie shell. Cut vents in top. Brush w/ remaining oil, sprinkle w/ Parmesan cheese. Place pepperoni slices on top. To prevent crust from burning, place strips of foil on edges of crust. Bake about 25 mins, taking foil off the edges the last 5 mins until crust is golden brown.

SPECIAL ITALIAN EASTER PIZZA

Steps:

• Cook and stir Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking the sausage into crumbles as it cooks, until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain excess grease; set sausage aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Oil the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan with olive oil.
• Cut 1/3 of the dough off the loaf and set aside under a cloth. Form the remaining 2/3 dough into a ball and roll into a 14-inch circle on a floured work surface.
• Line the springform pan with rolled dough, allowing dough to hang over the edge by 2 inches all around.
• Layer half the cooked Italian sausage, half the mozzarella cheese, half the ham, half the provolone cheese, half the salami, and half the pepperoni into the pie crust.
• Spoon and spread half the ricotta cheese over the layers of meat and cheeses.
• Sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese over the ricotta.
• Pour half the 8 beaten eggs over the layers; continue layering the remaining meats, sliced cheeses, ricotta cheese, and then Parmesan cheese.
• Pour remaining beaten eggs over the last layer of Parmesan cheese.
• Roll out remaining piece of bread dough to a circle about 12 inches in diameter; lay the piece over the pie to form the top crust. Roll and pinch the bottom crust overhang over the top crust to seal in the filling.
• Beat 1 egg with water in a small bowl; brush the top of the pie with egg wash.
• Bake pie in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set, 50 to 60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the crust should come out without raw egg.
• Allow pie to cool in the pan for at least 25 minutes before releasing the spring and removing pie from the pan. Transfer to a serving platter and cut into wedges for serving.

ITALIAN PIZZERIA-STYLE MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Brown beef and pork.
• Add onions and Peppers and saute till onions are slightly browned. Add garlic and saute.
• Add all other ingredients except dough, and simmer till thickened.
• Roll out 1 loaf of dough to fit a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Using a slotted spoon spread the meat mixture on top.
• Roll out the second loaf.
• Place this sheet on top and seal the edges.
• Poke a few vent holes in the crust.
• Brush the top completely with the fat drippings.
• Bake at the temp reccomended for the bread dough, till golden brown.
• Allow to cool slightly before cutting with a bread knife. (the inside will look slightly doughy).

PIZZA ESCAROLE (ESCAROLE PIE - ITALIAN)

Steps:

• Cut bottom off escarole. Then cut in half. Clean escarole in sink of water as many times until water is clean and no dirt. Boil in pot of salted water until tender - approximately 20 minutes. If bitter add 1-2 teaspoons sugar. Drain very well. Squeeze out all excess water with hands or in paper towel or dish towel.
• Next sauté escarole in frying pan with garlic and olive oil. Cold garlic 1st in cold oil or else escarole becomes crisp. Add red pepper flakes if you like it hot.
• Add drained, sliced olives and salt as desired. Keep in mind anchovies will be salty. When done, drain excess oil out of escarole via colander.
• Place dough in oiled then buttered pan (I use brush). Make sure dough comes up sides of pan. Put escarole mixture inside dough. Add anchovies on top in layered pieces. Stir lightly through. Put on top layer of dough for crust. Pinch seems together tightly of top and bottom dough layers. Brush with oil on top and melted butter. Make fork holes for ventilation.
• Bake 400ºF for 15 minutes. Then reduce to 350ºF for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Brush melted butter on top crust when removed from oven.

PIZZA PIE

Steps:

• 1. Let piecrusts stand at room temperature according to package directions. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle pie plate with cornmeal. Set aside.
• 2. Unfold pie crusts. Transfer one of the crusts to prepared pie plate. Sprinkle one-third of the shredded cheese over bottom crust. Pour half of the Hot and Spicy Pizza Sauce over cheese. Top with the sausage-pepperoni mixture, another one-third of the shredded cheese, and the remaining Hot and Spicy Pizza Sauce. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cut several slits in remaining crust. Place top crust on filling. Trim and flute edge. Brush with milk or water.
• 3. Bake in a 425 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and pie is heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Cut into wedges. Makes 6 servings.