Corsican Greens Pie With Butternut Squash And Three Cheeses Recipes

SAVORY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIE

Steps:

• Put oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat if onions are browning too quickly.
• Transfer onions to a large bowl. Add squash cubes, kale, sage, thyme and garlic. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes, and toss well to coat.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the puff pastry rounds to 12 inches in diameter (or roll and trim pastry rectangles to achieve two 12-inch rounds). Line a 10-inch pie pan or other shallow round baking dish with one 12-inch round of pastry. Add squash filling, piling it high. Sprinkle with provolone and pecorino. Lay the remaining pastry round over filling and crimp edges to seal. Paint the top of pie with beaten egg.
• Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Transfer to oven, and bake for about 1 hour, until pastry is nicely browned and squash is soft when probed with a paring knife. (Start checking at the half-hour mark and the 45-minute mark to make sure the pastry isn't browning too quickly. Tent with foil, if so.) Allow to rest at least 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into large wedges and serving.

GIANT GREEN PIE (TORTA PASQUALINA)

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir together 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and 4 tablespoons oil, then pour over flour and mix until dough comes together in a rough ball. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, adding more flour if dough is sticky. Wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. (May refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature.)
• Make the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches, blanch a handful of greens at a time, dropping them into the water until just wilted, then cooling in a colander under running water. Divide greens into 4 balls and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Chop greens coarsely with a large knife, then squeeze again. There should be about 4 cups cooked greens.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wide pot over medium heat. Add onions and a little salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add greens, season generously with salt and pepper, and mix well. Turn off heat. Add nutmeg, ricotta and half the Parmesan and mix. Taste and adjust; it should be highly seasoned. Beat 4 of the eggs. Set aside 3 tablespoons beaten egg; add remaining beaten egg to greens and mix well. Let cool.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut dough into 4 pieces and form into balls. Roll out each ball into a very thin 12-inch circle. Place 1 dough circle on a 12-inch pizza pan lined with parchment. Brush lightly with oil, then lay another dough circle on top. Spoon greens evenly over dough to a 2-inch thickness, leaving a 1-inch border of dough. Smooth the surface. With a soup spoon, make 5 indentations in greens and crack a raw egg into each depression. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Cover with another dough circle and paint lightly with oil. Place last dough circle on top. Using a paring knife, trim any excess dough at perimeter of pie. Fold outer edges together and crimp to seal pie. Paint top with reserved beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Using a paring knife, make 2 or 3 steam vents.
• Bake for about 45 minutes, until very well browned. Slide torta onto a cutting board and let cool slightly before slicing. May also be served at room temperature.

CORSICAN GREENS PIE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out pastry to 1/8-inch thickness, then cut it into a 12-inch-wide circle. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, celery, chard stems, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a hearty grind of black pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves, garlic, and sage and cook until chard leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes more. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl and stir in mint, parsley, feta, Pecorino, pine nuts, lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons of the ricotta. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Toss the squash ribbons (if using) with remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Spread vegetable mixture onto the pastry, leaving 1 1/4-inch border. Dollop remaining ricotta on the vegetable mixture and top with squash ribbons. Roll the pastry edges up around the side of the filling and pinch edges together to form a secure edge around the tart. Brush pastry with beaten egg and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Bake tart until pastry is golden and cooked through at the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.