Perfect for Easter season, this Vegan Cheese & Spinach Pizza Pie is a scrumptious dish to bring to the table.
Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
As we start to leave the cold of winter and begin to move into the gentle warmth of Spring we find ourselves in the celebrations of Easter. Easter in Italy can mean the delightful treat known as torta rustica. This tart is absolutely perfect for spring and because it is traditionally served at room temperature makes for the perfect picnic food as you start to explore the new bloom of a new year. Whether you are vegan or just looking for ideas for a meatless Good Friday meal I am positive this dish will satisfy everybody.
This can be your vegan alternative to the most popular Torta Pasqualina which means Easter Cake Pie.
Made with homemade nut based fermented cheese, (subs with homemade vegan ricotta or any vegan cream cheese of your choice, both homemade, like this or store bought for a quick fix), easy sautéed spinach, and a tasty blend of spices and chives.
The crust is also homemade and it consists of a pizza dough enriched with wholemeal flour, which is typically used to make "calzone" in the Apulia region where I come from. Apulian calzone is different from the Neapolitan. It it arranged in a pie shape and it carries all types of fillings, while the Neapolitan consists in a stuffed pizza dough folded into a half moon shape. In this version the calzone won't have the lid, hence why I called it pizza pie, or open pie, if you like.
Vegan Cheese & Spinach Pizza Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
..for the dough…
180 g Warm Water
200 g Bread Flour
100 g Wholemeal Flour
5 g Yeast (easy bake)
5 gr Salt
..for the filling...
350 g Spinach (Frozen; or twice as much if Fresh)
200 g Vegan Cream Cheese (or Ricotta)
30 g Vegan Grated Cheese
15 g Fresh Chives (finely chopped)
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
...extras...
1 ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
Method:
1. Make the dough by combining white flour and wholemeal flour in a bowl. Then with a fork create a little hole in the center and pour in the yeast. Make another hole in a separate corner of the bowl, away from the yeast and pour the salt. Gently add the water (water must be warm but not too hot, otherwise it will kill the yeast!) while mixing the ingredients with a fork (or with your hands if you fancy). Knead the dough for at least five minutes and allow it to prove in a dry and warm place (I usually place the bowl in the microwave turned off, it proves perfectly) for at least 2 hours (up to 5).
2. Heat the spinach in a hot skillet (there's no need to add oil), chop into smaller pieces, then drain the excess water and allow to cool completely.
3. Combine the spinach in a bowl with the vegan cream cheese, the grated cheese and all the spices and herbs. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
4. Once proofed, roll a disc of dough to a thickness of roughly ½ cm and arrange on a well oiled 26 cm pie tray.
5. Pour over the filling, gently press it down and cut out the excess of dough with a knife along the edges of the tray.
6. Cut the remaining dough into 3 equal sized pieces and roll into 3 long sausages and work into a plait. Carefully arrange the plait over the edges of the pie, and this will be our crust.
7. Bake the vegan spinach pie at 200°C (390°F) for 30-45 minutes.
8. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving and serve at room temperature. (otherwise the filling won’t be firm enough and just ooze out).
If you love this recipe why don't you check:
- Fluffy Stuffed Courgette Brioche Bread
- Vegan Deviled Potatoes Two Ways
- Vegan Casatiello with Veggies
- Mini Quiche with Asparagus and Vegan Ham
- Courgette and Smoked Paprika Rolls
- Vegan Russian Salad
- Vegan Quiche Lorraine
- Vegan Smoked Salmon
- Light Coleslaw Salad
- Italian Style Potato Salad
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