Savory pea pie. Spring recipe

The calendar lists March as one of the winter months, but in Italy, there is a saying that it is crazy.

Sometimes it shows up with a trousseau of rain and umbrellas. Frequently, it restores winter’s rigor in the blink of an eye. But it also happens to show up disguised as spring.

These days of mild weather and blue skies, I have abandoned my scarf and jacket in favor of lighter clothes.

Among the fruit and vegetable stalls at the market, I see the new produce announcing the change. The colors explode overbearingly around me, and I want to bring them to my table with colorful and joyful recipes.

Before I tell you about this savory pea pie, I’ll add one thing on the issue of first fruits. I am very cautious about buying them. They are expensive and, often, still not very tasty.

Savory pea pie recipe

I made this pie for the first time many years ago for Pasquetta.
That is, the day after Easter when, in Italy, it is a tradition to have big lunches and outings with friends.

That year we went to a friend’s house in the countryside of Bologna.
A beautiful day of sunshine and talk. The hostess opened the doors to everyone who stayed in town. Everyone had to bring something. To me, she asked for a savory pie.

The spring lunch seemed to call for my savory pea pie, which caused a little diplomatic incident. It was one of the most popular dishes of the meeting. Everyone who tasted it complimented my friend and hostess, and she always replied: “Thank you, but I didn’t make it. At the umpteenth appreciation, she looked at me, breaking into a big laugh.

After that time, I put the recipe between the pages of one of my notebooks. And I forgot it until a few days ago when Carolina, a friend I met on Instagram, sent me a package with flours from her Valtellina (that is an Italian Dolomitic valley between Lake Como and Stelvio National Park).

Anyway, among them was a fragrant rye flour that inspired me.
I revived a recipe I hadn’t made for far and used the flour for the base.

This savory pea pie is the bomb.
Smile, and life will smile on you.

Buona cucina, Monica

Savory pie recipes: click the link (here) to find some of my favorites.

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Savory pea pie recipe

serves 6
baking pan diameter 22 cm
List of Ingredients

for the base:
rye flour, 80 g
00 flour, 160 g
fine corn flour, 10 g
cold water, 150 ml
olive oil, 20 g
salt, 3 g

for the filling:
200 g peas (fresh or frozen)
150 g mascarpone cheese
100 g classic Philadelphia or cow’s milk ricotta cheese
50 g grated Parmesan cheese
40 of sweet bacon
2 eggs
1 pinch of salt

Method

The shell

Mix 00 flour with rye, corn, and salt in a large bowl. Add olive oil and water, knead, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate for about an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

The filling

Blanch peas in unsalted boiling water for a few minutes.

Drain and set aside a small amount of peas for garnish.

Chop the bacon finely.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C (360F) degrees.

In a bowl, mix the peas (except the ones you set aside), cheese, bacon, and Parmesan cheese. Reduce to a cream with an immersion blender.

Add eggs and salt to the cream of peas and stir to incorporate the ingredients.

Roll out the dough on a cutting board or directly into the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

The edges should overhang the edges of the baking sheet. Pour in the filling, fold the edges inward, and spread the peas kept aside over the surface.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Let cool completely before serving.
Serve alone as an aperitif or with a seasonal salad as one side.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.