AI-generated image
Pizza di scarola
Escarole pie
Pizza di scarola: Naples's double-crust escarole pie with olives, capers and raisins
Pizza di scarola is a Neapolitan Christmas Eve tradition, when families avoid meat: a covered pie of bread dough filled with sautéed escarole (a bitter salad green), black Gaeta olives, capers, pine nuts and raisins. Many families add anchovies, but this version keeps it vegan and gets its salty depth from the capers and olives instead. It is eaten warm or cold, cut into wedges, on the night before Christmas and in the days after. Chef's tip: squeeze the cooked escarole well before filling; wet greens make the bottom crust soggy.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- ⅓ oz fine salt
- 3 tbsp olive oilplus extra for the tin
For the filling
- 2 heads escaroleabout 1 kg, washed and roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlicsliced
- 2 ⅞ oz black olivespitted
- 2 tbsp capersrinsed
- 1 oz pine nuts
- 1 oz raisinssoaked in warm water
- 1 pinch chilli flakesopt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, 1 ¼ cups warm water, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast, ⅓ oz fine salt and 3 tbsp olive oil and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth. Cover and leave for 1½–2 hours, until doubled.
110 minStep 2: Blanch 2 heads escarole in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and squeeze dry.
3 minStep 3: Heat 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan with 2 cloves garlic and 1 pinch chilli flakes, if using, for 1 minute. Add the escarole, 2 ⅞ oz black olives, 2 tbsp capers, 1 oz pine nuts and drained 1 oz raisins and cook for 10 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool. Common mistake: filling while hot or wet; the dough goes gummy.
11 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Oil a 26 cm round tin. Divide the dough into two, one a little bigger. Roll the bigger piece into a circle and line the tin, letting it come up the sides.
Step 5: Spread in the filling, cover with the second circle, pinch the edges to seal and prick the top with a fork. Brush with a little oil.
Step 6: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool for 20 minutes before cutting.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pizza di scarola take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Boiled pasta
The basic method for any dried pasta, from penne to spaghetti. A large pan of salted boiling water keeps the pasta from sticking, and you cook it only until just done, with a little bite left. Use it in salads, bakes or with any sauce.
Hot pizza gravy
A big batch of spicy pizza sauce with fresh oregano, thyme and basil, plus ginger, garlic and green chilli for an Indian-style kick. The tomatoes are cooked down, strained and simmered until thick, so the sauce won't make the base soggy. Freeze it in portions for quick pizzas, or use 2 tsp dried herbs in place of fresh.
Cauliflower soup with farfalle
A smooth, creamy cauliflower soup flavoured with nutmeg and Parmesan, with little bow-tie pasta stirred through. It's served with crisp, curled melba toast sprinkled with Parmesan and paprika, so it makes a light meal on its own.