Savoy cabbage, together with most of its cabbage cousins, is not the most loved vegetables by many. It’s considered a peasant’s food and in Tuscany it’s often used in soups. It turns out that the “poor” cabbage it’s actually very rich both in iron and calcium, vitamins A & C, omega 3 & 6. It also helps lower blood pressure and protects heart and arteries so…it’s time to eat more cabbage! I consider this hearty pie as a winter whole meal. It can be cut in smaller cubes for a standing buffet or in bigger slices as a main dish- in both cases accompanied by a good red wine.
- 1 small Savoy cabbage- coarsely cut
- 4 medium white or yellow potatoes- ½” cubes
- 1 small rapini bunch
- 1 yellow or white onion- chopped
- 2 garlic cloves- peeled and smashed
- 1 tbsp of freshly grated nutmeg
- 200 gr. fresh ricotta
- 50 gr. scamorza cheese- cut in small cubes
- 3 tbsp of grated Parmigiano (I mean freshly grated!)
- 2 tbsp of bread crumbs
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and oregano q.b (quanto basta = use your judgment)
1) Boil the rapini in salted water for 10’, drain and chop
2) In large pan sauté onions in 3-4 tbsp of EVOO, add the cubed potatoes and cover for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
3) Add the cabbage, nutmeg, oregano, salt and a glass or warm water; cover and cook at medium heat for 5 minutes.
4) Add rapini, mix well, adjust salt (considering that you are going to add parmigiano which is salty) and let it cool
5) In a large bowl beat eggs and add ricotta, parmigiano and scamorza
6) If you used a pan that can be transferred in the oven, pour the content of the bowl, mix well and sprinkle bread crumbs and EVOO on top (if not, use a baking pan and brush some EVOO to the bottom and sides).
7) Bake in preheated oven 375/400 F for 25-30 min (do the “tooth pick test” in the middle of the pie until it comes out dry) plus 3 min of high broil to get a crispy top.
Viva il cavolo!