The Italian ham pie (pizza rustica) has numerous variations, so instead here's the very simple recipe for my mother-in-law's spinach bread. It should probably be called sausage bread because the spinach is basically an afterthought, but I am not going to go against the New Haven Italians on this one. I don't add salt and pepper because the sausage is highly seasoned as is. Frozen store-bought dough works best for this because of the dough conditioners. I have tried this with homemade dough, but it is not the same.
Donna's Spinach Bread
Ingredients:
2 loaves frozen bread dough
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 (12oz) pkg. frozen spinach
Grated Parmesan (optional)
Egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp. cold water)
Spray pan or large rectangular container with cooking spray or olive oil. Place the two frozen loaves in
Filling: Can be made a day ahead. Take frozen spinach out of refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking sausage to thaw. Cook crumbled Italian sausage in skillet until cooked through, about ten minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Use a spoon or paper towel to get rid of extra grease from the skillet. Add package of frozen spinach to the same skillet and sauté until just wilted. Remove spinach with a slotted spoon and add to sausage. Mix gently.
Preheat oven to 350.
Roll out each loaf of dough into an 8x12 rectangle. (This does not have to be precise; just make sure the dough will fit on your cookie sheet.)
Start laying the filling down the long side of the dough, right along the edge, about two inches in. Sprinkle with cheese, if using. Make one roll, jelly-roll style, and lay another line of filling against that roll and roll one more time to the end, creating a seam. Place loaf, seam end down, on a greased 9x13 baking pan. Repeat with the second loaf and place on baking pan three inches apart from the first loaf. If a loaf is too large for the pan, you can make a shepherd's crook, as I did, or put the second loaf on another baking sheet. This happens to me every time.
Let loaves rise an additional 30 minutes. Cut several shallow slits in each loaf and brush with egg wash.
Place in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes until brown on top. Let cool, then slice.
Mangia con la Famiglia!