In the U.S. when I hear the word pie the smell of baked fruit and cinnamon floods my nostrils. Visions of warm apples in a golden crust topped with melting vanilla ice cream come to mind. In Rome, I think of torta rustica or savory pie. It’s hard to imagine that the Romans made savory pie-like pastries during the Roman times and in Middle Ages. The crust was dense and hardly edible. Its main purpose was to keep meat moist during cooking.
Thankfully, today’s crust is moist and flaky and stuffed with vegetables, cheese and salami. Every season, I try different vegetable fillings and work on perfecting the crust. Artichoke and chard is my latest and favorite combo.
Ingredients for the filling
- 800 gr (28 oz) of chard, cleaned
- 6 – 8 artichokes
- 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 150 gr (5 oz) parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt & pepper to taste
Ingredients for the dough
- 500 gr (5 1/4 cups) of flour
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Preheat oven to 375°F/190 °C
Filling
Clean the chard. Parboil it for 5 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Chop it.
Clean the artichokes; discard the tough outer leaves. Slice thinly and place in water with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan, add chopped onion, let cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add the artichokes, salt and pepper and cook for 10 – 15 minutes or until tender. Add the chard and let cook for 3 – 5 minutes.
Add the parmesan and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Dough
Mix the flour with olive oil, salt and a generous amount of water. You want the dough to be soft, elastic-like.
Grease a round baking pan (approximately 24 cm (9.5 in) in diameter) with oil. Roll out half of the dough in the shape of a circle. Place in pan, add filling; covering the dough evenly.
Top with the remaining dough in the shape of a disk or with strips in a lattice pattern. Seal the edges. If covering with a disk use a fork to prick the crust. In a pinch use pre-made dough.
Place in preheated oven for approximately 45 mins or until the crust is golden brown.
Let cool a bit before serving. Enjoy!
If you’re in Rome, stop by Al Vino Al Vino (Via dei Serpenti 19) for a glass of wine and slice of Giacomo’s homemade torta rustica. Delicious!
Here’s my list of the 10 most memorable meals that I enjoyed outside of home cooked delicacies (that’s an entire list in itself!). All are separate but equal. Enjoy and warm wishes for a New Year filled with good food, drink and lots of love!
Trattoria da Salvo
Memories of my grandfather Edmundo from Salerno cleaning a bucket of live slippery creatures are fresh in my heart and mind. Still wriggling inch long chunks of eel were broiled, skin on. The heightening aroma of fish oil and smoke flooded the kitchen from floor to ceiling. Once cooled they were marinated with chopped parsley, olive oil and vinegar for 2 days leading up to the festivities.
Memories of my grandfather Edmundo from Salerno cleaning a bucket of live slippery creatures are fresh in my heart and mind. Still wriggling inch long chunks of eel were broiled, skin on. The heightening aroma of fish oil and smoke flooded the kitchen from floor to ceiling. Once cooled they were marinated with chopped parsley, olive oil and vinegar for 2 days leading up to the festivities.
As tastes have changed eel has definitely lost its popularity on many tables but remains a favorite on ours. 
Countdown on, only 4 hours until the feast begins. I’ve got my eyes on the bowl of hearty, savory and succulent pieces of eel. Luckily they’re no longer moving. Merry Christmas!!!
There’s a definite food buzz around Rione Monti punctuated by 
I visited the newly opened “Antico Forno ai Serpenti” and had a chance to interview owner Alessandro Santomauro and talk with Sergio Conti who oversees all baking and bread making. I also spent some time in the kitchen and behind the counter getting to know the staff and sampling many fresh out of the oven goodies. 
Why did you open the forno (bakery)?
Can you tell me about the Conti family and their role here? 
Why did you choose the name “Antico Forno ai Serpenti”?
Why did you choose to design the interior in a 1930s style?
Which goods do you consider to be your signature products?
Can you talk to me a bit more about the products and recipes?
Can you tell me about the bottled merchandise on display?
Is there anything else you’d like to add? 
You can visit Antico Forno ai Serpenti on the corner of Via Parnisperna and Via dei Serpenti, Monday – Saturday from 7:00 am to 10:00pm and Sunday from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Don’t miss a warm cornetto, pizza bianca and la mela in camicia (apple wrapped in flaky pastry dough pictured above) best straight out of the oven!
When winter strikes, I find myself spending more time baking. A few years ago my Mom gave me a leather bound book with my grandmother Louise’s signature recipes. She hand-wrote each one. It is the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received. I keep adding more of my grandmother’s recipes to it, testing them and retesting them.
I recently made a version of her anise biscotti. In Italy, the term biscotti refers to a twice-baked cookie. I adapted the recipe using butter instead of margarine and orange essence instead of anise oil.