These crispy, stuffed snacks are a basic road meals deal with in Puglia. As a result of they use pre-made puff pastry dough, it’s a straightforward and scrumptious dish to make with virtually no baking ability required! Whereas the standard filling is besciamella sauce, cheese and tomato, you will get inventive and use this fundamental approach with nearly any type of stuffing you want.
Rustici Leccesi Recipe | Apulian Road Meals Snack
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Makes: About 5 rustici (you may make just a few extra if you happen to re-roll the puff pastry scraps)
For this recipe, you will want:
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2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
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¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
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1 ¼ cups (300 ml) complete milk
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One giant puff pastry sheet, about 10 x 15 inches (25 x 38 cm)
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¼ cup (60 ml) tomato puree
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1 ounce (30 g) low-hydration mozzarella or provolone cheese, finely chopped
Begin by making a thick besciamella sauce. In a small saucepan, soften the butter over medium/low warmth. When it’s fully melted, whisk within the flour. It should shortly kind a thick roux. Progressively add the milk whereas stirring.
Proceed to whisk till the sauce thickens right into a pudding-like consistency. Season the besciamella generously with salt, black pepper and nutmeg to style. Let the besciamella cool to thicken much more.
Preheat the oven to 380°F (195°C).
Put together a easy tomato sauce by seasoning the tomato puree with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil to style. Combine properly.
Unfold the puff pastry sheet flat on a big piece of parchment paper. Every rustico is fashioned with three discs of dough: two ought to be about 3 ½ inches (9 cm) in diameter and the third barely smaller, about 3 inches (7.5 cm). When you solely have one cutter measurement, you may make all the discs the identical.
Utilizing spherical cookie cutters, reduce the pastry sheet into about 5 units of discs (10 of the bigger, 5 of the smaller). Place one of many bigger rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the highest of it with the whisked egg. Place a second giant spherical on high and gently press them collectively to kind one circle.
On high, place a small spoonful of besciamella, just a few items of chopped cheese, and a dollop of tomato sauce, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of free house across the filling. Bear in mind that including an excessive amount of filling could make the rustico difficult to shut, so err on the facet of much less filling when doubtful.
Liberally brush the encircling fringe of the dough with the egg wash and place the final (smaller) disc of dough on high. Gently press the perimeters into the egg to seal it shut. Don’t fear about urgent very onerous, the egg will act like glue when baked.
Lastly, brush the highest of your complete rustico with egg wash and repeat to assemble the remainder of the rustici. Whereas a big sheet of puff pastry dough will yield about 5 rustici, you may make just a few extra by rolling the remaining scraps out with a rolling pin to the identical thickness as the unique sheet.
Bake for 15 to twenty minutes, till the dough is golden and crispy. Serve heat or at room temperature.
