Torta al Testo

Italian cuisine is very well known around the world but, there are still so many great local recipes that remain undiscovered.
I particularly love this one because it’s very simple to make and it’s originally from Umbria, which is where my mum comes from.

I went to University in Perugia and I remember we used to drive to the nearby lake. We would always stop to have a slice of Torta al Testo on the way. That place still exists and if you ever are around Magione you should look for Torta d’la Maria. I promise it’s incredible!

The original way to enjoy it is with “erba e salsiccia” which means spinach and sausage. You can of course choose a different filling based on your taste. Phil and I prepared 3 different versions as you will see in the pictures:

·      Classic Erba e Salsiccia

·      Vegetarian with grilled courgettes dressed with olive oil and mint and of course goat’s cheese

·      Vegan with grilled courgettes and pepper houmous

 In this post I am going to explain how the classic one is prepared and will leave you to choose what alternative filling you might like.

The very last thing I want to mention is that Testo is a specific cast iron pan with no edges. As you might imagine, I do not have one in London, but I tested the recipe and you can achieve a great result using a regular pan. The secret is to pre-heat it for 10-15min at maximum heat.

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Undiscovered gem

 Ingredients

500g Plain flour
250g Sparkling water
1tsp of salt
1 sachet dry yeast or alternatively 1tsp of soda bicarbonate
1tbsp of olive oil

Classic Filling Erba e Salsiccia

400g spinach
1 chili
1 clove of garlic
8 Italian sausages

Cooking time & people:

Serves 4
20mins hands on
30min rest

Step by step:

• Cook the sausages in a pre-heated oven at 200° C for one hour roughly. Turn them half-way to achieve and even colour

• In a bowl add the flour, sparkling water, salt, dry yeast and olive oil. Mix all the ingredients until combined and form a dough ball. Cover it an let it rest for 30min

• Wilt the spinach in a pan until all the excess water is released. Strain the spinach and put it aside for a few minutes

• Put a non-stick pan on medium heat with olive oil, sliced garlic and chili. Let them sauté for a few minutes and add in the spinach. Season to taste and let it fry for 5 minutes. Put aside

• Take a non-stick pan or a cast iron skillet and heat it up for 10min. The base of my pan is 20cm diameter

• In the meantime, take your dough (30min should have passed by now) and divide it into 3 balls. Use a rolling pin to roll out. It should roughly be 2cm height

• Time to check if your pan is ready. Simply take a pinch of flour and scatter it in your hot pan. If it turns brown, it means you are open for business

• Keep the heat as high as possible and adjust your first torta. Turn sides a couple of times to make sure it’s evenly cooked. It should be ready in 8 to 10min

•  Once ready take it out and cover it with a tea towel to keep it warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 discs of dough

•  Slice the torta and cut it lengthwise, fill with the spinach and sausage cut in half

•  Enjoy (possibly with some good red wine!)

Tips & cheats

Don’t confuse this with pizza or focaccia dough. This is quite a hard and stiff dough. Don’t be alarmed, that’s how it’s meant to be. You will be able to roll it out quite easily.

Don’t add any fat in the pan before you cook the torta. I’s not necessary and it won’t stick.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, I suggest you have it with grilled vegetables cut lengthwise and dressed with good olive oil and fresh herbs. My favourite combinations are:

• Courgette and mint

• Aubergine and basil

• Red Peppers & marjoram

 Don’t expect big bubbles like you would on a focaccia. This is different and the crumb is meant to be quite compact

I really hope you enjoy and spread this recipe. I would love if more people got to know it and appreciate it as much as I do.