Vegan Pizza di Scarola
Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
This popular pizza pie from Southern Italy is now famous all over the world. Here's my recipe for vegan pizza di scarola.
Pizza di scarola (escarole pizza pie) is a very tasty stuffed pizza pie, typical of the Neapolitan tradition.
It is made with a few genuine ingredients and is perfect for a thousand occasions.
Unmissable in a rich buffet spread, we can prepare it for an aperitif, appetizer or enjoy it as a main dish.
What is Scarola
Scarola (known in English as escarole or endive) is a variety of endive belonging to the Asteraceae family that looks like an open head salad, light green in color that turns yellow towards the top of the leaves and white on the stem.
Escarole has very little fat and protein, but is rich in water and minerals as well as fibre and vitamins, especially A, C and K.
It helps the functioning of the digestive and intestinal systems and has a characteristically bitter taste.
There are several versions, as per most traditional recipes. Some people use the typical escarole salad or its curly twin, also known as curly salad or frisée; there are those who use it raw in the pie, others who fry it or stew it first in a pan; others may enrich the filling it with anchovies, cherry tomatoes, sultans and pine nuts.
Mine is a 100% vegan version that involves pre-cooking the escarole in a pan with garlic, salt, oil and a little chilli pepper, for a slightly spicy kick (totally up to you though).
Finally I add Taggiasca olives (that you can easily substitute with kalamata if hard to find), capers and toasted pine nuts, elements that pair divinely with the slightly bitter flavour of the endive.
Pizza di Scarola will be typically crunchy on the outside and soft and tasty on the inside.
It is excellent to enjoy both hot and at room temperature. I like it even more the next day, in fact I always try to leave at least one portion to enjoy the next day.
If you've never tried it, I'm sure it will win you over!
Here's how to prepare it from scratch.
Pizza di Scarola (Escarole Pie) Recipe
Ingredients:
…for the filling..
500-600 g Fresh Escarole (or Frisée Lettuce)
30 g Taggiasca Olives (pitted)
20 g Pine Nuts
2-3 Garlic Cloves
2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1.5 tablespoon Capers
1 piece Chilli Pepper (optional)
Salt
Pepper
..for the dough..
1 dose Speedy Pizza Dough (with sourdough starter)
or
350 g All Purpose Flour
200 g Water (warm at 35°C/95°F)
5 g Instant Yeast (or 16g Fresh Yeast)
5 g Sea Salt (around 1 tsp)
Method:
1. Prepare the dough.
Instant yeast version. Measure the flour into a large bowl. Poke a hole in the middle and add the yeast in it, then make and another hole to one side of the flour and pour in the salt. Add warm water little by little in the middle, stirring from time to time. Mix everything for about ten minutes or until a smooth and homogeneous dough is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 1 hour and a half in a warm environment (about 26°C/79°F).
Sourdough version. Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl, then knead until you have a smooth ball. Cover and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, prepare the escarole by removing the core at the base and coarsely chopping the leaves. Wash well under running water until all impurities are removed, then leave to drain completely or use a salad spinner to remove excess water.
3. In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil with crushed garlic and chilli pepper (if using) until the cloves are browned.
4. Add the well-drained escarole and sauté everything until it is wilted and soft.
5. Toast the pine nuts in another hot pan.
6. As soon as the escarole is cooked add the olives and capers, mix well then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
7. Divide the dough into two equal halves and shape each part into a ball.
8. Dust the work surface with some flour and roll out the first half with a rolling pin.
9. Line a well-oiled 24 cm (9.5 inch) diameter baking tray with the first half stretched out, then pour in the sautéed escarole filling.
10. Repeat step 8 with the second half of the dough, which will cover the pie.
11. Seal the edges well by adhering and pinching the two sheets of dough together, cut out any excess dough, then crimp the dough by simply folding the sealed edges inwards.
12. Drizzle the entire surface of the escarole pizza with olive oil.
13. Bake in a hot oven at 200°C (392°F) for about 40 minutes.
14. Allow pizza di scarola to cool down for at least twenty minutes before portioning it and enjoying it.
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