"You may have heard of Spanakopita, which is a Greek spinach pie, but have you ever tasted the Italian version? There are several ways to present this delicious dish, whether it is in a loaf shape, or in a hand pie style! All you need for this delicious recipe packed with spinach is pizza dough (homemade or store bought), frozen spinach, olives, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil and mozzarella cheese!"
You know you are a Rhode Islander when you know what a "Whimpy Skimpy" is! These have been made at Caserta's Pizza on Federal Hill, since 1946. a R.I. institution!
Only in little Rhode Island are the “pies” pictured above named spinach pies. Anywhere else in the country they would have other names, like calzones. This recipe is similar to my favorite spinach pie served at one of the amazing restaurants in the city I grew up in. Their traditional pies have pepperoni it is a delicious tradition!!
Spinach Pies
Servings – 3 loaves or 6 individual pies Prep Time – 20 Minutes Cook Time – 25 Minutes Ingredients:
12 ounces frozen spinach, chopped and drained - you can also use one bag of fresh spinach. 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces black olives
1/4 cup olive oil
4lbs pizza dough (store bought or homemade) - made into 6-inch rounds for individual or leave them in 2lb balls to roll out to make a loaf to slice.
12 ounces shredded mozzarella
4 ounces sliced pepperoni
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large sauce pan over medium heat add a drizzle of olive oil, spinach, garlic, salt, black and red pepper. Once the spinach is fragrant and heated through, add in the olives.
Roll out the large balls of dough into a 12x12-inch squares or the 6" individual balls into 4" flat rounds.
For the 6" calzone style:
Spread the spinach mixture over half of each pizza round. Fold the other side of the dough over the spinach, making a half-moon shape. Do not pinch the ends. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. Cool slightly (but not totally cold), open the dough to reveal the spinach filling, and then cool completely.
Once cooled, spread the mozzarella to cover each entire pie and top each with the pepperoni. Bake open-face until the cheese melts and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Fold back into a half-moon shape, making sure the spinach is on the bottom, and serve.
For the loaf style:
Spread the spinach mixture over the entire square of dough leaving 1" space from the edges. Add mozzerella cheese, and peperoni pieces. Starting at one end roll dough over spinach rolling into a log shape (like you would with cinnamon rolls). Halfway into rolling pull over the ends to the top of the dough inwards and continue rolling until you come the other end of the dough. Place on baking sheet seam side down. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until light golden brown. Cool loaf completey.
Once cooled, slice each loaf into 6 slices, showing the spiral side and serve.
"I learned to make these back on the East Coast. When I moved to the South, I missed alot of food I was used to. Even certain ingredients are hard to find or can't get them at all. You improvise and create new recipes, coming very close to the original. When I made these some thought they came from a bakery asking if I had took a trip home. I miss the neighborhood with the Italian/Irish/Portuguese roots I grew up in, so now I just bring it to me! Salute!"
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.
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