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Muffuletta pie
Serves 6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2 sheets ready-made frozen shortcrust pastry
- 2 sheets ready-made frozen puff pastry
- 2tbsp vegetable pesto (see recipe, right)
- 6 grilled, marinated sweet potato slices (see Cook’s note)
- 45g firmly packed baby spinach leaves
- 160g Provolone, thinly sliced 3 grilled, marinated aubergine slices (see Cook’s note)
- 2tbsp basil pesto
- 125g buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 3 marinated artichokes, (from a jar), coarsely chopped
- 1tbsp fresh oregano leaves
- 2 whole grilled, marinated peppers (see Cook’s note), cut open at the edges to flatten
- 8 grilled, marinated courgette slices (see Cook’s note)
- 1tbsp olive tapenade
- 2tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 egg, lightly beaten with around 1tbsp water
Vegetable pesto
- 1⁄2 cup chunky veg such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, deli or roasted veg
- 1 garlic clove
- 50g hard Italian cheese or goats’ cheese
- 2tsp chilli flakes
- 1tsp mustard
- 5g thyme, rosemary or oregano
- 2tsp lemon juice or red wine
- vinegar
- 125g extra virgin olive oil
- 110g breadcrumbs
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C F/Gas 7. Line a round pizza tray with baking paper.
For each type of pastry, you will need to create one big round out of the two square pastry sheets. Take the shortcrust pastry sheets and roll each into a long cigar shape. Roll these together into a large snail-shaped spiral. Using a rolling pin, roll the spiral into a 33cm round and place on the prepared pizza tray.
Repeat the process with the puff pastry sheets, and set aside to use as the pie lid.
Leaving a 4cm edge, layer the filling ingredients on to the shortcrust base, as follows: vegetable pesto, sweet potato, half the baby spinach, one-third of the Provolone, the aubergine, basil pesto, mozzarella, artichokes, oregano, peppers, remaining baby spinach, another third of the Provolone, the courgette, tapenade and the remaining Provolone. (The order is quite important, to separate the wetter ingredients).
Spread the mustard on the underside of the pie lid. Brush the edge of the pie base with the egg wash, reserving some for the top, then cover the pie with the puff pastry lid and gently push out any air bubbles.
Trim the pastry to make a neat-ish edge, then pinch and crimp the pastry the whole way around. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash.
Tie cooking string underneath the pizza tray and up over the pie firmly. Repeat this another two to four times, depending on what size you would like to mark your pie slices at (three strings will make six slices).
Put the pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Remove the string and allow the pie to cool slightly before cutting and serving.
COOK’S NOTE
You should find grilled, marinated sweet potato, aubergine, peppers and courgette at the deli counter. Or make your own: slice the raw vegetables into 5-7mm thick slices and roast in a preheated 220C/200C F/Gas 7 oven on a baking tray lined with baking paper for 20 minutes. Season, cool, then drizzle with oil and red wine vinegar.
Vegetable pesto
Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor to your preferred consistency, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep any you don’t use for the muffuletta recipe, left, to serve over pasta.
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