Pizza-Like Pastries from Italy! Simple RUSTICI LUCCESI Recipe

Follow along with the recipe below! I describe these Puglian snacks as “pizza meets pastry.” Nestled between two flaky puff pastry sheets is a filling of a Parmesan bechamel with a little tomato pasta and a piece of fresh mozzarella.

After my recent trip to the wonderful Martinucci Laboratory bakery in Lecce, Italy, I knew I had to recreate these perfect nibbles that will keep you sustained until your next bowl of pasta or entire pizza.

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• Recipe •

Makes 4 rustici
The rustici can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

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• Ingredients •

Parmesan Bechamel:
1 cup (250 mL) 2% milk
4 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper

Rustici:
2 sheets (450 g total) butter puff pastry
½ fresh mozzarella (about 2 oz/60 g), cut into 4pieces
Or 2 bocconcini, cut in half
¼ cup (60 mL) tomato passata
1 egg lightly whisked with 1 Tbsp water, for brushing

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• Directions •
1. For the bechamel, whisk the cold milk, cornstarch and nutmeg together in a small saucepan. Bring the pan up to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until the sauce begins to thicken and bubble. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan and season to taste. Transfer the sauce to a bowl to cool and then chill it completely before using.

2. To assemble the rustici, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

3. Cut 4 discs of from pastry that are 5-inches (12.5 cm) across and place them on the baking tray. Cut 4 more discs of the same size and set aside.

4. Drop a tablespoonful of the chilled bechamel sauce into the centre of each pastry disc on the tray. Top this with a tablespoonful of passata and top with a piece of fresh mozzarella. Brush around this filling with eggwash. Place the second piece of pastry on top of the filling and gently press around the filling with your fingers – the top pastry piece will not reach the edges of the bottom piece. Use a water glass to press a circle around the filling, fusing the pastry layers together to keep the filing in, but without cutting through the pastry.

5. Bake the rustici for 20 to 25 minutes, until a rich golden brown.