This is a real production and so I've only made it once. Although it took a long time to prepare, I remember it as wonderful (but maybe that's because I made it). It was one of those cloudy days at the beach when I just felt like cooking, summertime when the zucchini grow so fast and tender. If you don't feel like doing this all at once, you can make parts of it ahead and assemble it when you're ready. Serve this with marinated grilled chicken and some freshly sliced tomatoes. Yum! Note that the recipe calls for a 10-inch springform pan and a food processor.
For dough:
2 1/2 C flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into 12 pieces
6-8 T ice cold water.
For the sauce:
2 T butter
3 T flour
2 C whole milik
freshly grated nutmeg to taste (don't use too much; it's a very strong flavor)
2 T minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T olive oil
1 lb white button mushrooms, diced or sliced thin
2 t dry white wine
3/4 lb cooked ham steak, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 C minced parsley
1 t minced fresh thyme (or 2 t crumbled dried)
1/4 C thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (not packed)
1/4 C thinly sliced fresh mint leaves (not packed0
For the filling:
2 lb zucchini, scrubbed and trimmed
vegetable oil for deep frying
10-oz spinach fettuccini
1 1/4 C parmesan cheese, preferably freshly ground
an egg wash, made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 1 T water
Make the dough:
1. In a food processor, blend the flour and salt, add the butter and blend, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pulsing continuously, add 6-8 T ice water, or just enough to form dough. Test after 5 T by squeezing dough together. If it comes together easily, it's ready.
2. Divide dough into 2 pieces, one twice the size of the other and form each into a ball. Flatten the balls slightly and chill them, wrapped separately in plastic wrap for at least one hour or overnight.
Make the sauce:
1. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and cook the roux, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bring to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking, for 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to a heat-proof bowl, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Reserve.
2. In a large skillet, cook onion and garlic in the olive oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste and sauté, stirring, over moderately high heat until the liquid the mushrooms give off has evaporated. Add the wine and cook the mixture until the liquid has evaporated.
3. Stir the mushroom mixture into the sauce and add the ham, parsley, thyme, basil, mint and salt and pepper to taste. This may be made one day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
Make the filling:
1. Slice zucchini thinly into 1/4 inch rounds, using a mandolin if you have one. In a large skillet, heat 3/4 inch of oil to fairly hot and deep-fry zucchini in batches, turning, for 2-3 minutes per batch until golden brown. Transfer with tongs to drain on paper towels. This may be made on day ahead and kept covered and chilled.
2. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until al dente, drain in colander and rinse briefly under cold water.
3. Roll out larger dough on a lightly floured surface into an 18 inch round and fit into a 10 inch springform pan, trimming to overhang one inch.
4. In the shell, layer in order, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Make 2 more layers in the same manner.
5. Roll out remaining dough into an 11 inch round, drape over the filling and crimp the edges of the dough together decoratively.
6. Brush the dough with the egg wash, prick surface with a fork decoratively and bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake 40-45 minutes more or until top is golden. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
7. When ready to serve, release sides of springform pan carefully, and cut the pie into wedges.
Serve with a dry, white wine.
For dough:
2 1/2 C flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into 12 pieces
6-8 T ice cold water.
For the sauce:
2 T butter
3 T flour
2 C whole milik
freshly grated nutmeg to taste (don't use too much; it's a very strong flavor)
2 T minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T olive oil
1 lb white button mushrooms, diced or sliced thin
2 t dry white wine
3/4 lb cooked ham steak, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 C minced parsley
1 t minced fresh thyme (or 2 t crumbled dried)
1/4 C thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (not packed)
1/4 C thinly sliced fresh mint leaves (not packed0
For the filling:
2 lb zucchini, scrubbed and trimmed
vegetable oil for deep frying
10-oz spinach fettuccini
1 1/4 C parmesan cheese, preferably freshly ground
an egg wash, made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 1 T water
Make the dough:
1. In a food processor, blend the flour and salt, add the butter and blend, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pulsing continuously, add 6-8 T ice water, or just enough to form dough. Test after 5 T by squeezing dough together. If it comes together easily, it's ready.
2. Divide dough into 2 pieces, one twice the size of the other and form each into a ball. Flatten the balls slightly and chill them, wrapped separately in plastic wrap for at least one hour or overnight.
Make the sauce:
1. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and cook the roux, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bring to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking, for 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to a heat-proof bowl, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Reserve.
2. In a large skillet, cook onion and garlic in the olive oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste and sauté, stirring, over moderately high heat until the liquid the mushrooms give off has evaporated. Add the wine and cook the mixture until the liquid has evaporated.
3. Stir the mushroom mixture into the sauce and add the ham, parsley, thyme, basil, mint and salt and pepper to taste. This may be made one day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
Make the filling:
1. Slice zucchini thinly into 1/4 inch rounds, using a mandolin if you have one. In a large skillet, heat 3/4 inch of oil to fairly hot and deep-fry zucchini in batches, turning, for 2-3 minutes per batch until golden brown. Transfer with tongs to drain on paper towels. This may be made on day ahead and kept covered and chilled.
2. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until al dente, drain in colander and rinse briefly under cold water.
3. Roll out larger dough on a lightly floured surface into an 18 inch round and fit into a 10 inch springform pan, trimming to overhang one inch.
4. In the shell, layer in order, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Make 2 more layers in the same manner.
5. Roll out remaining dough into an 11 inch round, drape over the filling and crimp the edges of the dough together decoratively.
6. Brush the dough with the egg wash, prick surface with a fork decoratively and bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake 40-45 minutes more or until top is golden. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
7. When ready to serve, release sides of springform pan carefully, and cut the pie into wedges.
Serve with a dry, white wine.
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