rustic pie

You know you’re retired when you wake unsure of what you’ll do with the day then deciding to make a “torta rustica” (“rustic pie” in Italian) for breakfast.  Neither Kathy nor I had ever heard of the dish when we saw it on the brunch menu of Sauces, Italian bar/restaurant attached to the not bad Hilton Garden Inn where we’d stayed after seeing Boz Scaggs the night before at the Capitol Theater in Flint, last August.  They’d not made any tortas yet, so Kathy and I settled for an Italian version of frittata and eggs Benedict respectively, washed down by a couple of nice tall bloody Marys.  But I vowed to check out that dish to see if it was something I could make.

The morning I first wrote this (8/7/23) was the time for that.  Dr. Google had several recipes and I made an amalgam I would try.  Good old open-at-6 Kroger made it possible to pick up the spinach, parsley, and cheeses I lacked.  

The dish is a staple at Italian Easter tables.  I held off on this blog so it would hit in Easter season.  I can see why, as the layered ingredients make for a lovely display.  I could find no Christian symbolism other than that Tortas, with their elaborate meat and cheese display, make a great way to end the 40-day fast of Lent.

And not just for Easter anymore!  This is a dandy, fancy dish that would impress company anytime.  As a pie, it begs some comparisons to quiche (which real men still won’t eat), but that’s pretty egg based whereas Torta gets its substance from cheese and vegetables, maybe one egg in the whole recipe.

All the layering makes it seem kinda fussy, but it’s really a pretty easy recipe, and so impressive at table!

So, you wanna make one?  Here’s what you do.  Let’s go ahead and start with the recipe card.  If you want to see how the pros do it, check out (1).

See here a spread of all the ingredients (except the crust).  Maybe some you may not have laying around the house.  Roasted peppers?  Pancetta/prosciutto?  And a lotta cheese (parmesan, mozzarella, feta, ricotta).  Spinach?  I’m strong to the finich cause I eats me spinach (2).

After that comes the layering.  Take care with this step as you want those beautiful layers showing when you cut the pie.

She’s a beauty sitting in the oven, and even more when it comes out.

La piece de resistance comes at table.  Now, Italian chefs cool their tortas to room temperature before serving.  But the cutting and service deserves at least a drum roll, and maybe a little snip of Vivaldi.  So you can make this a while in advance and let it set.  A dish that’ll make your Easter table soar, even if you’re not Italian.  Buon appetite! (that’s “bon appètit” in Italian).