Recipe - Italian 8-Layer Pie

CRUST
2 One half cup Allpurpose flour
One half cup Cold butter or margerine,
Cut into pieces
1 Egg
1 Egg white
2 tablespoon Milk

FILLING
1 lg Red sweet pepper, roasted
1 pack 10ounces frozen chopped,
Spinach thawed
1 lg Fennel bulb, trimmed and
Coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 md Leeks, thinly cut or sliced up , 2/3 C.
2 tablespoon Olive oil
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup Shredded mozzarella (4oz.)
One fourth cup Pesto or Homemade pesto
One fourth cup Grated Parmesan cheese
1 Egg yolk
4 ounce Salami, coarsely chopped
(Three fourths cup)
1 Beaten egg yolk

TO MAKE DOUGH in the food processor, place the steel blade in the processor
bowl. Add flour, cold butter, and One fourth teaspoon salt. Process with serveral
on/off turns till mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. combine egg, egg
white, and milk; add to processor and process till mixture forms a ball.
(Or, for the mixing bowl method, combine flour and One fourth teaspoon salt in a
medium mixing bowl; cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add
egg mixture; mix with a spoon or your hands till mixture forms a ball.)
Cover dough; chill while preparing filling.

FOR FILLING, cut roasted sweet pepper into strips; set aside. Drain spinach
squeezing to remove excess liquid. In a 10inch skillet cook fennel and
leeks in hot oil for 5 to 7 minutes or till tender. In a mixing bowl stir
together drained spinach, ricotta, mozarella, pesto, Parmesan, the first
egg yolk and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED SURFACE roll 2/3's of the chilled dough into a 12inch
diameter circle. Place the dough in an 8inch sprinform pan (the dough
will go about 2One half inches up the sides). Press pleats in dough as
necessary to fit. Spread the bottom crust with half of the fennel mixture.
Top with half of the spinach mixture, half of the salami, and half of the
red pepper strips. Repeat layers.

ROLL REMAINING DOUGH into an 8inch circle; place atop filling. (You may
want to save a few dough scraps for decorating the top of the pie.) Fold
excess bottom crust over top crust; crimp edge to seal. If desired, cut
reserved dough scraps into shapes and use to decorate the top of the pie.
Or, cut a design, such as a leaf or a flower, out of the top. (If you don't
cut a design out of top crust make a few slits in the top crust to let
steam escape while baking.) Brush with remaining egg yolk. Bake in a
375degree oven about 50 minutes or till golden. Let stand 15 to 20
minutes. Remove sides of pan to serve. Serves 10 to 12.

TO BAKE AND CHILL AHEAD: Bake pie as directed; cool. Chill pie in pan about
1 hour. Remove from pan, wrap in foil, and chill for up to 2 days. Before
serving, heat wrapped in foil, in a 350degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or
till heated through.

TO BAKE AND FREEZE AHEAD: Bake pie as directed; cool. Chill pie in pan
about 1 hour. Remove from pan, wrap in foil, and freeze for up to 1 month.
To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat, wrapped in foil in a
350degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes.

Source: BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS MAGAZINE, October 1991.