Love veggies? We’ve got just the treat for you. Try your hands at the amazing Italian vegetable pie with some very basic recipes that you can’t go wrong with.
Most people in America are used to eating apple pies and the like as dessert items. It wasn’t until the Italians introduced their style of pies that the Americans became exposed to a whole new dimension to pies. The Italians are renowned cooks and their cuisine clearly showcases their talents. They are also very creative when it comes to making food and have a lot of regional diversity in their cuisine. Amongst the various things that make up their cuisine is the Italian pie. This is no sweet tasting sweet smelling pie; rather a meaty, cheesy or a veggie filled pie. Although there are some versions of the pie like the Italian ricotta pie that are sweet the remaining are largely not counted as dessert items.
The origins of the veggie pie
The Italian vegetable pie is yet another variation that stems out from the Italian Easter traditions. Easter Sunday became the day that families would come together to celebrate the end of the lent period of fasting. They would usually do this with something meaty in the form of the pie. The trend spread throughout the country where people began to make their own variations of the pie. People chose different kinds of meat, cheese, rice and even vegetable pies according to their taste. The Italian vegetable pie is a true veggie lover’s delight with a lot of healthy vegetables inside. There are many different variations to the vegetable pie itself because you can choose from a wide range of vegetables and their cooking styles.
Making an Italian vegetable pie
The Tiella di patate is one of the most popular versions of the Italian vegetable pie that has the three most famous vegetables in it; potatoes, tomatoes and onions. To make a serving for four people you will probably need about six ounces of each. Along with this you will need some bread crumbs, olive oil, garlic and salt. To begin with you should peel the potatoes and slice them up into discs the width of your fingers. Similarly peel and slice the onions and cut thick slices of the tomatoes while discarding the seeds.
Next up you will need a dish that can easily hold the contents and oil it nicely. Start with putting down a layer of potatoes and sprinkle it with some oregano, garlic and salt. The next layer will be made out of the sliced onions to which you will add some more herbs and tomatoes as well. Use whatever remaining ingredients you have for the final layer and dust it all with bread crumbs. Lastly just before putting it in the oven sprinkle it with some olive oil. Bake the dish for about 45 minutes at around 350 degrees. This is the simplest recipe to the Italian vegetable pie and it isn’t something that you can go wrong with. You can make your own variations in the dish and maybe even add a mashed potato crust to your pie. As you perfect the art of making the Italian pie you can start using different vegetables and techniques to suit your taste.
