Cacioni Recipe

yield: 10 – 12 pies.

Ingredients

• Swiss chard with spinach, sautéed and very well-drained (recipe below)

• pastry dough 30 oz (Use your own pastry dough recipe, try  cream cheese pastry dough, or buy it ready-made at your grocery store. Puff pastry, however, is not recommended.)

• 1 egg yolk mixed with a tbsp of water to make a wash

(Swiss Chard & Spinach Filling)

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped

• 1 bunch  fresh Swiss chard, trimmed, leaves chopped after removal from stalks, stalks chopped and reserved

• 1/2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed  — use more or less, if you like

• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil and garlic in a frying pan over medium heat until garlic begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Do not allow garlic to burn.

2. Remove garlic, increase heat to med-high, add onion and as much of the chopped chard stalks as you prefer. Season with salt & pepper and sauté until translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add chopped spinach to pan and continue sautéing until heated through, about 4 minutes.

4. Add chard leaves, season with salt & pepper, and sauté until leaves are wilted and cooked to your preference.

5. Place cooked greens in a colander or strainer, place a dish on top of the cooked vegetables, and place a heavy can or similar weight on top of the dish. This will help to drain as much liquid from the greens as possible before filling the cacioni.

Cacioni

Directions

1. Separate dough into halves, wrap one half with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Roll the remaining half as you would for a pie crust.

2. Using a bowl, saucer, or wide-mouthed mug/jar as a template, cut circles as large as you can on the dough sheet. Trim and reserve the excess dough for later use.

3. Depending upon the size of the dough circle, place 2 to 4 tbsp of the chard filling in a line across the center of each one. Using a pastry brush or your finger tips, moisten the edge of each circle with water. Fold the pastry in half upon itself, creating a half-moon. Use a fork to press and seal the edges of the dough. Use the fork to prick each pie to let steam to escape during baking. Set aside on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Continue until no more dough remains and then place the baking sheet into the fridge while you work with the second half of the pastry dough. Repeat the process until there is no more filling or dough.

• TO COOK IMMEDIATELY

1. Pre-heat oven to 375*

2. Meanwhile, chill the cacioni for a few minutes before proceeding.

3. Using a pastry brush, carefully coat the exposed surface of each pie with the egg wash. Sprinkle with salt.

4. Place baking sheet into pre-heated oven and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

5. Serve immediately.

• TO FREEZE & COOK

1. Place newly prepared cacioni on a lined baking sheet and then into the freezer.

2. After a couple of hours, place the cacioni into more permanent freezer containers.

3. When ready to cook, DO NOT THAW. Pre-heat oven to 350*.

4. Remove the cacioni from the freezer, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and, using a pastry brush, coat the exposed surface of each pie with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse kosher or sea salt.

5. Place the baking sheet into a pre-heated oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

6. Serve immediately.

 

Cacioni