Ground beef and peas are mixed with tomato sauce and plenty of cheese then wrapped in puff pastry for these I Rustici with Meat and Peas. An Italian street food from Puglia, these buttery, savory bites make for a delicious appetizer or dinner component.
It’s not often that I share a savory recipe, especially one that features an actual cooked component (I’ve just been sticking to biscuits and bread so far), but this recipe for i rustici is one I knew I needed to share. A staple at some of our family gatherings, a filling of ground beef, frozen peas, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce is cooked then sealed in between two sheets of buttery, flaky puff pastry. Each bite essentially melts as you begin to chew, and the simple combination of flavors fills you with a satisfying warmth in your belly.
Incredibly simple, this is another of those recipes that can be made using store-bought puff pastry. Personally, I am all about taking a bit of extra time to throw together some rough puff pastry. The homemade pastry allows for the flavor of the butter to really shine through and it brings a tenderness to the flake that I feel you just don’t get with the store-bought stuff. Not everyone likes to make pastry though, and my mom always makes hers with a box of puff pastry from Pepperidge Farm and it is still simply incredible–I mean, I had to steal her recipe and share it, so if you want the quick, super easy route, this will still impress and be delicious!
Important thing to note, allow the filling to cool prior to placing it on the cold pastry. Warm filling on the cold pastry will cause the butter to begin melting before you can put it in the oven and will result in a slightly soggy bake. Note also that, if you make your own pastry, bake time may vary depending on how thick your pastry is–the thicker the pastry, the more time the i rustici will require in the oven.
The instructions below are for both the super easy pre-made pastry route and the homemade. This is definitely a recipe that should be added into your appetizer or comfort-food inspired dinners.
| Prep Time | 35 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30-35 minutes |
| Servings |
squares
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- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry or 3x rough puff pastry* *quantities & instructions below
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mozarella shredded
- 1 egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbsp water, whisked)
- 375 grams all purpose flour
- 420 grams unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup water ice cold
Ingredients
Rough Puff Pastry**
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- Thaw the puff pastry according to the box (40 minutes at room temperature).
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown the ground beef in the oil until cooked through. Drain the excess liquid from the pan and return to the stove. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the frozen peas and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Strain any excess liquid from the mixture and transfer to a medium bowl. Allow to cool slightly and stir in the parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly butter a medium baking sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one sheet of puff pastry once, turn 90 degrees then roll out again until the seams are no longer visible. Line the sheet of puff pastry on the tray so that the edges fold up along the sides of the pan. The puff pastry may not fill the whole space of the pan, but that is okay (and usually how it works out for us)!
- Spread the meat and pea mixture evenly over the top of the pastry.
- On your lightly floured surface, roll the second sheet of puff pastry just a little bit larger than you did the first. Place this sheet over the filling and tuck it under the sides of the bottom layer of pastry. Crimp the edges with a fork. Brush the egg wash over the top of the pastry and dock with a fork.
- Bake 20 minutes then rotate the pan. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
- MAKE THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add in the cubes of butter and, using your fingertips, rub in the butter until coated in flour. The mixture should be crumbly and the butter might be in different sizes though most should be about the size of a pea. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring with a knife until the dough begins to come together. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball.
- Flour your countertop or work surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 12" x 6" rectangle. Add more flour on top of the dough or underneath as needed to prevent the butter from sticking. Fold the bottom 1/3 of the dough up toward the middle. Then fold the top 1/3 toward the middle so that the all thirds overlap--similar to an envelope or folding a piece of paper into thirds. Rotate the dough 90° and repeat the rolling and folding process. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.
- Return the dough to your lightly floured surface so that one of the open ends is facing you. Roll to a 12" x 6" rectangle and repeat the process of folding into thirds. Rotate the dough 90° and fold again. Chill the dough for another 15-30 minutes.
- Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times. Roll the dough out to a 30" x 12" rectangle about .5 cm thick. You may need to cut off any rough edges to create a straight-sided rectangle. Cut the pastry in two, leaving one half just slightly larger than the rest.
- WHILE THE PASTRY IS CHILLING BETWEEN FOLDS, MAKE THE FILLING: In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown the ground beef in the oil until cooked through. Drain the excess liquid from the pan and return to the stove. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the frozen peas and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain any excess liquid from the mixture and transfer to a medium owl. Allow to cool slightly and stir in the parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
- ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly butter a medium baking sheet. Place the smaller piece of pastry on the sheet so that the edges fold up the side of the pan. Spread the filling evenly over the pastry. Top with the larger sheet of puff pastry and tuck the edges under the bottom. Crimp with a fork. Brush with the egg wash and dock the top layer of pastry with a fork. Bake 20 minutes, rotate and continue to bake an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Depending on the thickness of your pastry, it may take a bit longer with the homemade rough puff than with the store-bought pastry. Allow to cool 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
** Rough puff pastry quantities tripled from Chocolate & Zucchini