I’ve been meaning to share this delicious pie/calzone hybrid for some time now – but I don’t want to talk about the disappearance of the first set of pictures.
From the crash that shall not be mentioned.
So I just had to prepare it again (oh, snap!), in order to show it off. The recipe comes from Rao’s – Recipes From The Neighborhood – and by far, I think this is the second most-used cookbook I own (the first would be Dorie’s book).
I don’t know exactly how to describe this – it isn’t a pie like a Pizza Rustica – it seems to be more like a calzone. The recipe didn’t call for cheese, but that didn’t stop me from adding some – in my world, if there’s crust, there must be cheese.
Anyways, it’s a wonderful thing – pizza dough wrapped around a spinach garlic filling – and to quote Ina Garten, “How great is that?”
So first, roll out your dough:
Then place your filling in the middle:
Add formaggio (a necessity in my house):
Seal it up – and make sure those edges are sealed, otherwise you will get a spinach explosion – not that I would have first-hand experience with that:
You can use a regular oven, but I prefer to use the pizza oven on the barbecue:
I photographed it when it was room temp, so the cheese wouldn’t try and escape:
FYI – this freezes well – which makes the kids happy when they ask, “What’s for lunch?”
Spinach Pie - Rao’s – Recipes from the Neighborhood
¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tbs. for the dough
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 bunches spinach, steamed or 3 boxes frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
Salt and pepper
2 tbs. golden raisins, soaked in water to cover (optional – I left them out)
2 tbs. pine nuts (optional – I left these out too)
1 lb ball pizza dough
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, salt and pepper to taste, raisins and pine nuts, if desired, and toss until the spinach is thoroughly coated and flavorful. Transfer the spinach mixture to a colander and let drain.
To make the pies, divide the dough into 8 pieces, and roll each piece into a 4 to 5 inch circle. Divide the spinach mixture equally between the dough pieces. Fold the dough over the mixture to form a half-moon, and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
Transfer the pies to a large rimmed baking sheet, and brush the tops with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Remove from the oven, cut into slices and serve.
Ok, it was made just for me.
