ASPARAGUS EGG PIE (TORTINO DI ASPARAGI) – Recipe by Piero Benigni – This is an easy, delicate and delicious dish, popular everywhere in Italy. It can be enjoyed as a starter or a main course and served hot, lukewarm, at room temperature and even fridge-cold in summer. It is an excellent snack also, either alone or in sandwiches.
This kind of pies (Tortini) are prepared with beaten eggs and vegetables. Cheese, ham, milk, pepper, herbs, nutmeg and whatever else is needed to complete the taste and aroma are also often added. The vegetables are used in greater quantity if compared to an omelette and the eggs only have the task of bonding. They are cooked in medium-to-low oven (300 to 325 °F or 150-160 °C) until they have a dry surface but a very soft interior.
Ingredients for 2-3 persons
- 300 gasparagus (10 1/2 oz, cleaned)
- 3eggs
- 3 spoonscheese (grated parmesan, 1 oz)
- 1 spoonparsley (chopped)
- 3 spoonsbreadcrumbs
- 1 spoonolive oil (or 1/2 oz butter)
- nutmeg (at taste)
- salt (at taste)
- black pepper (at taste)
Tools
Tools for the asparagus egg pie
- Cooker
- Baking Dish Square 6″x6″ or round 8″
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Pan non stick, 10″
- Bowl
- Fork
- Scale
- Wooden Spoon
Getting ready
If you are using fresh asparagus, separating the hard stem from the eatable part is very easy. Take the base with one hand, the tip with the other and bend. Asparagus know where to break! If you are using frozen asparagus or tips, thaw them, separate the eatable part if needed then cut in small pieces.
Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil (or 1/2 oz butter) in the pan. Add asparagus and half a ladle of hot water. Cover with lid and cook over a mild flame until tender. Uncover, increase flame and let asparagus dry. Add salt to taste, turn off flame and let cool down.
Break 3 eggs into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt, some pepper if you like, cheese, 2 spoons of breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and some nutmeg. Beat well with a fork then add cold asparagus and mix again.
Cooking the asparagus egg pie
Pour into the baking pan and evenly distribute with a fork. Sprinkle a little breadcrumbs on top.
Bake in not fan-assisted oven at 150-160 °C (300-320 °F), heat below and above, position below halfway up. Do not bake at higher temperature otherwise the pie will be eggy. Cooking time is around 20 minutes or until the pie has a dry surface but a moist moist and soft inside.
Serve with more cheese on top and pepper at hand. This pie goes very well with green salads, tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh cheeses and cold cuts. It can be kept for 2 days in the fridge or frozen with a 3 months life in the freezer.
Hereunder: the oven-ready raw pie