Spicy Italian Slab Pie

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Ready for a new Italian dish that is not made with pasta? This simple spicy Italian slab pie fits the bill. Easy to make, it is packed with favorite Italian ingredients that will make your whole family swoon.

As I was making this slab pie, I couldn’t help but wonder what my Italian friends would think of it. Just a few days ago a group of international foodies had a discussion about authentic food.

We agreed that Italian and Italian-American (or Anglo-Italian as they call it) food is not the same food. Do you love spaghetti bolognese? In Italy, you can only find tagliatelle bolognese as spaghetti bolognese doesn’t exist, I’m told. So does it make the dish less Italian? 🤔

I’ve eaten some pasta dishes in Italy that I didn’t love. But their pizza is par excellence! Gelato is matchless too.

When it comes to authenticity, the same is true for all other international cuisines. Those are the hybrid foods created by immigrants who are cooking with U.S. ingredients available. Being an immigrant myself, I can vouch that we are a proud community who cook classic food with a passion and we stand behind our dishes.

As the world grows smaller, we are discovering that traditional recipes vary even from region to region, let alone from country to country. I get it. My cooking is different from my mom’s and she taught me how to cook. We are evolving in every way so why shouldn’t our food do just the same?

I’m not sure this spicy Italian slab pie has ever been made in Italy, but it has been inspired by their cuisine. I adapted the recipe from Rachael Ray. She’s an Anglo-Italian, so it counts, right? 😉

So let’s agree not to dwell on rules but instead get inspired and make new food. Slap some basil on it and call it Italian, ha! 😂

Interested in more maybe-Italian dishes? Make sure to check all my Italy inspired food and also more recipes for National Italian Food Day below, hosted by my foodie friend Ellen of Family Around The Table.

Spicy Italian Slab Pie Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4-6

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ½ pound spicy Italian sausage (bulk or casings removed)
• 3 cups packed fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (17.3 oz.), thawed
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup jarred marinara sauce
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, sliced
• Flour for dusting

~ Free Tip ~

• You can use celery instead of fennel.
• Replace Italian sausage with spicy Kosher/Halal turkey sausage.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, heat the 1 ½ tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining oil, fennel, and garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Mix in the sausage.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water. On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet into a 10×12-inch rectangle. Transfer one sheet to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with sausage mixture, leaving a 1-inch border. With a tablespoon, dot with the ricotta, then drizzle with the marinara sauce and sprinkle with half the basil.
5. Brush the border of the pastry with the egg wash and line up with the remaining sheet of puff pastry, pressing the edges to seal.
6. Brush the top with egg, and then use a fork to crimp the edges. Cut 4 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining basil and serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Spicy Italian Slab Pie Recipe

Easy to make, this simple spicy Italian slab pie is packed with favorite Italian ingredients that will make your whole family swoon.

4.5 from 2 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Author: Jas

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ½ pound spicy Italian sausage bulk or casings removed
• 3 cups packed fresh spinach leaves chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry 17.3 oz., thawed
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup jarred marinara sauce
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves sliced
• Flour for dusting

Instructions

• In a large skillet, heat the 1 ½ tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining oil, fennel, and garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Mix in the sausage.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water. On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet into a 10x12-inch rectangle. Transfer one sheet to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with sausage mixture, leaving a 1-inch border. With a tablespoon, dot with the ricotta, then drizzle with the marinara sauce and sprinkle with half the basil.
• Brush the border of the pastry with the egg wash and line up with the remaining sheet of puff pastry, pressing the edges to seal.
• Brush the top with egg, and then use a fork to crimp the edges. Cut 4 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining basil and serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Notes

~ Free Tip ~

• You can use celery instead of fennel. 
• Replace Italian sausage with spicy Kosher/Halal turkey sausage.

Tried this recipe? Rate it below!Mention @all_thats_jas and tag it #allthatsjas

Featured on: Across the Boulevard and Life on Lakeshore Drive.

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Please visit all the blogs sharing Italian recipes for the National #ItalianFood Day:

• • • Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
    • Carpaccio di Tonno by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
    • Comtesse d’Italia Cocktail by Bear and Bug Eats
    • Eggplant Parmesan Casserole by Simple and Savory
    • Homemade Marinara Sauce by Frugal Pantry
    • Italian Cream Cake with Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting by Family Around the Table
    • Italian Wedding Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
    • Low Carb Lemon Chicken Piccata by Everyday Eileen
    • Pasta e Fagioli by A Day in the Life on the Farm
    • Sausage and Pepper Sheet Pan Sandwiches by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
    • Italian Slab Pie by All that’s Jas