Jacopone’s Pastry: The History of Todi in Every Bite

One of Todi’s most illustrious figures, the priest and poet Jacopone dei Benedetti, known as Jacopone da Todi (c. 1230–1306), gave his name to a dish that tells the city’s most authentic story. It’s a puff pastry filled with pork and veal, vegetables, and ricotta, served in rounds and topped with tomato sauce.

Ingredients

500 g flour
150 g durum wheat semolina
4 eggs
500 g ricotta
250 g spinach
Grated lemon zest
100 g grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Tomato puree
300 g mozzarella

Procedure

Make the pastry by mixing the flours and eggs; let it rest a bit before rolling it out. Meanwhile, cook the spinach and roughly chop it, then mix it with the ricotta and Parmesan, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Fill the pastry with the mixture and roll it up tightly; wrap it in foil and cook for 20 minutes in boiling water.
Once it has cooled, cut it into rounds and season with the tomato sauce. Arrange it on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes, garnishing with a few mozzarella flakes.

Freely adapted from www.tv2000.it