Italian Sausage Pie
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage
1 C red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 – 1/2 tsp dried oregano
16 oz hot roll mix
5 large eggs
3 C mozzarella, freshly shredded
1 C ricotta cheese
5 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
8 oz canned sliced mushrooms
Topping:
1 large egg
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions
If using link sausage, remove sausage from casings and crumble. Use anywhere from 1 1/2lbs (as directed) up to 2lbs.
Prepare veggies and garlic. Add sausage to a large skillet over medium heat. When meat is partially heated through, add red pepper, onion, garlic and seasonings to skillet. Toss and stir. Cook until meat is browned and veggies are tender. Drain of fat and transfer to a small bowl.
Prepare hot roll mix according to package directions… just be warned it will be sticky when you transfer it. The dough needs more flour than the package states but it will work. Patience and lots of flour. It will come together. Knead until smooth, then transfer to a greased bowl and cover. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat 5 eggs. Add in 1 cup of mozzarella, ricotta and chopped spinach. Stir. Add sausage mixture and mushrooms to bowl. Toss and stir well.
Flour your work area, then roll 3/4 of the dough into a large circle. It doesn’t have to be perfect but big enough to fit the bottom of a springform pan and it’s sides. Transfer dough to a greased springform pan – pressing gently into the bottom and up the sides. Hang any extra dough over the sides for now.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella onto bottom crust. Pour sausage mixture into pan. Spread out remainder of mozzarella over sausage mix.
Roll remaining dough into a small-ish circle, just big enough to top off the filling. Place on top of the cheese. Fold over side dough and pinch with top dough to seal.
In a small bowl, beat 1 egg with water and grated Parmesan. Brush egg mixture over all exposed dough. Let sit for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with extra Parmesan.
Transfer springform pan to a large baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly (5-10 minutes) before removing springform pan side.
Cool an additional 5-10 minutes before slicing into. A bit of warning, juices will escape so please do not cut over anything you don’t want to get dirty… a counter or rimmed baking sheet would be best.
