If you don’t have time to be an Italian artisan from Naples and make your own dough, don’t worry. This crostata, or free form pie, is an absolute must for Easter! It’s easy to prepare, and honestly just beautiful. It is rich, savory, and cheesy. Plus, you can use a store bought ready made pie crust and no one will ever know. 😉

The au gratin potato filling along with the asparagus and onion, are a great contrast in texture. The Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese blend brings a nice balance to the dish. If you’re looking for something easy yet impressive to serve this Sunday or for any other occasion, this is it. Let’s eat.

Here is the recipe:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Pillsbury pie crusts, refrigerated
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp of butter, melted
• 1 cup of Monterey Jack and Cheddar blend, shredded
• 1 tsp of salt, plus more
• 1 tsp of black ground pepper, plus more
• 2 small or medium-sized russet potatoes, washed, dried, and sliced to ⅛ ” inch thickness
• 10-12 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ of a yellow onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. Slice the potatoes to a ⅛ ” inch thickness. If you slice them too thick they will not cook through. I used a mandoline to slice the potatoes evenly.
3. In a shallow bowl, add the sliced potatoes, onions, salt, black ground pepper, and garlic powder. Mix all the ingredients together.
4. Now add the heavy cream, melted butter, and ½  a cup of the cheese blend. Stir together. Try to keep the potato slices in tact as you mix.
5. On a clean surface, roll out the still cold pie dough. Use a rolling pin to stretch it out. Don’t stretch it out to much, a few rolls outward will suffice.
6. Now arrange the potatoes and onions in the center of the pie dough. Try not to overlap the potato slices too much. Arranging correctly will ensure proper cooking.
7. Place the asparagus spears in a clockwise manner, and top with the other ½ a cup of cheese. Leave 1-2 inches of excess dough around the whole circumference of the pie.
8. Fold the edges up and over. Allow it to overlap each fold as you go.
9. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on the crust. Sprinkle more salt and pepper on the edge.
10. Bake for 22 minutes. Enjoy!