Giulianna Galiano (East Brunswick, New Jersey)
Serves 6
My grandma, Carol, gave me her spinach “pie” recipe. Whether eaten on the run, reheated in a dorm room microwave, or consumed right out of the frying pan, these pockets of goodness are irresistible. I usually come home with pies and end up yelling at my brother and father for eating nine of them by dinner. Growing up in an Italian household, I was bound to learn this recipe and record it for future use. Each ingredient is handled with love and care because of the effort put into preparation. The tomatoes, spinach, and sausage can all be purchased locally, especially during the summertime, when the Jersey Shore farmers markets are in full swing. You may ask, “Why are these called ‘pies’?” Good question; I have no idea. My guess is my brother and I were too young to pronounce “calzone” when we started demanding these treats.
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ ounce package yeast
Sugar and warm water, for yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Water, as needed, to make dough tight
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ Spanish onion, julienned
3 cups chopped spinach (fresh or frozen and drained)
½ cup fontinella cheese, grated
½ cup asiago cheese, grated
4 sausage patties, cooked and crumbled
½ cup ricotta
Canola oil, for frying (see Chef’s Tips on blended oil, this page)
Kosher salt, to sprinkle on top of pies
6 plum or roma tomatoes (see Chef’s Tips on tomato concasse, this page)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to coat bottom of pan)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 slices bacon, diced
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup red wine (preferably a cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir)
Sprinkle of dried oregano, basil, thyme, and/or parsley
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
To prepare the dough, measure the flour into a bowl. Bloom the yeast by placing it in a separate container with a sprinkle of sugar and a splash (approximately 1 tablespoon) of warm water (105°F). (When fresh yeast blooms or is activated, it may bubble. This takes approximately 5 minutes.) When ready, make a well or hole in the mound of flour, and slowly pour in the yeast mixture. Stir until the flour and yeast are incorporated. Add salt, olive oil, and some water to bind the dough together. Make sure that it is not too wet or sticky. If this occurs, add more flour until the dough is soft. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough forms a ball with a smooth surface. Place the dough in a large mixing bowl, cover with a clean towel, and allow to rest for 1 hour in a cool, dark place. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured counter top. Knead for 5 more minutes, place back in the bowl, cover, and allow to rest for another hour. Knead for another 5 minutes, place back in the bowl, cover, and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Reserve until ready to fill.
Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the onions until caramelized (they should be sweet, brown, and soft). During this time, defrost the spinach (if frozen) and squeeze to remove any excess liquid, or chop by hand (if fresh). In a large bowl, mix the cheeses, spinach, sausage, caramelized onions, and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble calzones, place the dough on a floured flat surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into an 8-inch circle. Spread approximately 3 heaping tablespoons of filling over half of the circle, leaving a ½-inch border. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling and crimp the edges closed, like the edges of a pie crust. Add canola oil to a shallow, straight-sided skillet, and heat the oil until 325°F. Carefully lower each pie into the hot oil. Use a metal spatula or slotted spoon to flip the pies when the bottoms become light golden brown in color. When the other side is golden as well, transfer to paper towels on a rack, and immediately sprinkle with salt.
To prepare the sauce, the plum tomatoes must be roasted to achieve a sweet flavor. Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 400°F. Score the ends and remove the stem of each tomato. Blanch in simmering salted water for approximately 1 minute (until the skin loosens). Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes, and immediately shock them by fully submerging in an ice water bath until fully cooled. Remove from the ice water, peel, and discard the tomato skins. Place the whole tomatoes on a foiled, shallow sheet pan and oven-roast for 10 minutes. Rotate and flip tomatoes, roasting for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Once cool, dice into small chunks and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil with crushed red pepper flakes in a saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute to infuse the flavor. Add bacon, and cook until crispy. Add bay leaf, garlic, and tomato paste, then stir until the garlic has softened and the paste becomes slightly darker in color (approximately 2 minutes). To deglaze the pan, pour in wine and simmer until reduced by half of its original volume. Add the roasted tomatoes, and crush with a wooden spoon. Season with the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Enjoy this sweet and spicy marinara sauce with the fresh calzones. Buon Mangiare!