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Pizza e scarola napoletana is a double-crust savory pie from Naples built around braised escarole, black olives, capers, and a few anchovies melted into the oil for backbone. It’s a Christmas Eve staple in Campania, though I bake mine whenever escarole shows up cheap at the market.
The filling looks plain until you taste it. Bitter greens meet salty olives and capers, then a small handful of raisins and pine nuts and plumped raisins pulls the whole thing toward sweet. That contrast is the point.
The dough is a lean pizza dough, sometimes enriched with a spoonful of lard for a shorter crumb. I use olive oil here so the crust stays crisp without tasting heavy.
One thing that trips people up: escarole holds a surprising amount of water. Squeeze it hard after braising or the bottom crust turns soggy before the top even browns.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bittersweet filling balances olives, capers, raisins, pine nuts
- Bakes ahead and tastes better the next day
- Uses cheap, in-season winter greens for the filling
- Freezes well before or after baking
Ingredient Notes
- escarole: Use two large heads, about 1.2 kg total. Curly endive works too, though it’s more bitter and needs an extra minute of braising.
- anchovy fillets: They melt into the oil and add savory depth without tasting fishy. Leave them out for a vegetarian filling and add a bit more salt.
- Gaeta olives: Small, wrinkled, brine-cured olives common in Campania. Kalamata olives are a fine substitute if you can’t find Gaeta.
- raisins: Soak them in warm water for 10 minutes so they plump up instead of drying out further in the oven.
- pine nuts: Toast them in a dry skillet until just golden. They burn fast once they start to color.
- 00 flour: Bread flour works as a substitute and gives a slightly chewier crust.
Neapolitan Escarole Pie with Olives and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm water and 3 tbsp olive oil.
- Mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms, then turn onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes, until doubled.
- Wash the escarole well and roughly chop. Wilt it in batches in a large stockpot with just the water clinging to the leaves, over medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes, until fully collapsed.
- Drain the wilted escarole and squeeze it hard in a colander once cool enough to handle, pressing out as much liquid as you can.
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped anchovies and cook for 2 minutes, mashing the anchovies into the oil, until they dissolve and the garlic turns fragrant but not browned.
- Add the squeezed escarole, olives, capers, drained raisins, pine nuts, and chili flakes. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until any remaining liquid evaporates and the mixture looks glossy.
- Season with black pepper and taste before adding salt, the olives, capers, and anchovies are already salty. Let the filling cool completely before assembling.
- Heat the oven to 200C / 390F. Divide the risen dough into two pieces, one about 60% and one 40% of the total.
- Roll the larger piece into a 30 cm / 12-inch circle and fit it into a 23 cm / 9-inch pie dish, letting the excess hang over the edge.
- Spread the cooled escarole filling evenly into the crust.
- Roll the second piece into a 25 cm / 10-inch circle and lay it over the filling. Trim, crimp the edges to seal, and cut 3 to 4 small vents in the top crust.
- Brush the top with beaten egg. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown.
- Cool the pie for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Squeeze escarole dry after braising, this is the most common failure point.
- Rest the dough a full 90 minutes, cold dough tears when rolled.
- Taste the filling before sealing, olives and anchovies vary in saltiness.
- Cut steam vents in the top crust so filling doesn't push through seams.
Tips for Success
- Squeeze the braised escarole dry in a colander before filling, or the crust turns soggy.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for 2 minutes until golden, the same quick technique used for spinaci alla romana’s pine nuts, and watch closely so they don’t burn.
- Rinse the capers if packed in salt to avoid an overly briny filling.
- Let the pie cool for 20 minutes before slicing so the filling sets and doesn’t spill.
- Swap half the olive oil for lard if you want the traditional Neapolitan crust texture.
Variations
- Add 50g chopped walnuts to the filling for extra crunch alongside the pine nuts.
- Skip the anchovies for a vegetarian version and add an extra pinch of salt to compensate.
- Use kale or Swiss chard instead of escarole when escarole isn’t in season.
Storage and Reheating
Pizza e scarola keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days, wrapped tightly or in an airtight container. It actually tastes better the next day once the filling settles into the crust.
Reheat slices in a 180C / 350F oven for 10-12 minutes until warmed through and the crust re-crisps. A microwave works in a pinch but leaves the bottom crust soft.
Freeze the whole pie, baked and cooled, wrapped tightly in foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pizza e scarola warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges, alongside a plate of Neapolitan spiced Christmas cookies for a Christmas Eve spread, or with a simple green salad for a weeknight dinner.
A glass of dry white wine like Falanghina cuts through the richness of the olives and pine nuts.
Leftover slices pack well for lunch and taste good cold straight from the fridge, when the flavors have had a day to settle.
FAQ
Why is the bottom of my pizza e scarola soggy?
A soggy bottom usually means the escarole wasn’t squeezed dry enough after braising. Escarole holds a lot of water, so drain it in a colander and press with the back of a spoon before it goes into the crust. Blind-baking the bottom crust for 5 minutes first also helps if your escarole still feels damp.
Can I use kale instead of escarole in this pie?
Yes, kale or Swiss chard both work well in place of escarole. Strip the tough stems, chop the leaves, and braise them the same way, though kale needs a couple of extra minutes to soften. The filling will taste slightly less bitter and more earthy than the original.
Can I freeze pizza e scarola napoletana before baking?
Yes, you can assemble the pie and freeze it unbaked, wrapped tightly in plastic and foil, for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen at 200C / 390F, adding 15-20 extra minutes and covering the top loosely with foil if it browns too fast.
What wine goes with pizza e scarola?
A dry white like Falanghina or Greco di Tufo works well with pizza e scarola. Both have enough acidity to cut through the olives, capers, and pine nuts without competing with the bitter escarole. A light Chianti also works if you prefer red.
Is pizza e scarola napoletana vegetarian?
It isn’t vegetarian as written because of the anchovies melted into the filling oil. Leave them out and add a pinch more salt and a splash of extra olive oil to compensate, and the pie turns fully vegetarian without losing much depth of flavor.
What’s the difference between pizza e scarola and pizza rustica?
Pizza e scarola is a savory greens pie built on braised escarole, olives, and capers, while pizza rustica is an Easter pie packed with cured meats, ricotta, and eggs. Both use a similar double-crust pastry, but the fillings and occasions are completely different.