Escarole Stuffed Pizza (Pizza di Scarole) – Authentic Neapolitan Italian Recipe

Escarole pizza is a traditional Neapolitan savory rustic dish.

Like casatiello for Easter, so is escarole pizza for Christmas, as an appetizer but also as a main course, served still warm or at room temperature.

This traditional recipe calls for a pizza dough, characterized by a long leavening, that hides a soft heart of escarole.

Great friends of chicory, escarole are a typical winter vegetable: in this recipe they are blanched in salted water and sautéed with oil, pitted olives, capers, anchovies, pine nuts and raisins.

From here on, recipes differ, and each family carries on its own version, as is often the case with traditional recipes.

Variations of the recipe

In the original recipe there is lard, which gives a special crunchiness to the dough and promotes its malleability and elasticity.

However, the flavor of lard is very distinctive and not everyone likes it: therefore you can replace it with extra virgin olive oil, adding about 50 g of it.

Many also like versions of the escarole pizza with puff pastry or brisée dough: in this case, follow the directions for baking the escaroles and then substitute the pizza dough with the dough you prefer. For a quick variation, rely on ready-made doughs.

Yeast is also a debated issue: most preparations call for brewer’s yeast, but you can substitute it with half a sachet of instant yeast for pies.

Remember, however, that the result may not be the same: escarole pizza takes time to be delicious.

Pizza with escarole: origins of the recipe

We are not sure where it originated and the year it first appeared.

However, we have a good deal of confidence in stating that escarole pizza originated in Campania, among the countryside and the province of Naples.

Especially for less well-off people, sometimes unable to afford even a plate of macaroni, the only source of sustenance was herbs.

Cooking Time

• Prep: 2 hours

• Cook: 40 minutes

• Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
  Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

For the Dough

• Lukewarm water: 250 ml (1 cup + 1 Tbsp)

• Extra-virgin olive oil: 3 Tbsp (45 ml)

• Honey or sugar (optional): 1 tsp (4–5 g)

• All-purpose flour or Italian “0” flour: 500 g (about 4 cups + 2 Tbsp)

  • (based on ~120 g per cup AP flour; results are consistent and reliable)

• Fresh yeast: 12 g (0.42 oz)
  OR Active dry yeast: 4 g (about 1¼ tsp)
  OR Instant yeast: 3 g (about 1 tsp)

• Salt: 12 g (2 tsp fine salt)

For the Filling

• Escarole: 1 kg (2.2 lb)

• Garlic: 2 cloves

• Pitted black olives (Gaeta preferred), sliced: 150 g (about 1 cup)

• Anchovies in oil: 50 g (1.75 oz, about 8–10 fillets)

• Raisins: 50 g (about ⅓ cup)

• Walnuts, roughly chopped: 50 g (about ½ cup)

• Capers, rinsed: 1 Tbsp

• Extra-virgin olive oil: as needed

🍳 Instructions

1️⃣ Prepare the Dough:
In a bowl, combine lukewarm water with yeast and honey, stirring gently. Add the flour gradually, mixing continuously. Once it starts to come together, add the salt and olive oil. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours or overnight in the fridge).

2️⃣ Prepare the Escarole:
Rinse the escarole thoroughly and blanch it briefly in salted boiling water (2-3 minutes). Drain well and chop roughly.

3️⃣ Make the Filling:
In a large pan, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil and lightly brown the garlic cloves. Add capers, raisins, walnuts, and sliced olives, cooking for a few minutes. Remove garlic and add the anchovies, stirring until they dissolve. Add the escarole, season lightly, and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4️⃣ Assemble the Pizza:
Divide the dough into two portions (one slightly larger than the other). Roll out the larger piece and place it in a greased 11-inch (28 cm) round baking pan, covering the base and sides. Prick the bottom with a fork and add the escarole mixture evenly.

Roll out the second piece of dough and cover the filling, sealing the edges by folding them inward. Brush the top with olive oil and prick it with a fork to allow steam to escape.

5️⃣ Bake:
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 35-40 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

6️⃣ Cool & Serve:
Allow to cool slightly before slicing. Delicious warm or at room temperature.

🥗 Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)

🔔 Tips & Tricks

✅ Let the dough rise slowly for deeper flavor.
✅ Blanch escarole briefly to remove bitterness.
✅ Swap anchovies for sun-dried tomatoes for a vegetarian twist.
✅ Use puff pastry if you’re short on time.
✅ Leftovers? Reheat slices in the oven to restore crispness.

ESCAROLE PIZZA

With its fragrant dough and savory vegetable filling, it tells the story of tradition, family, and resourcefulness — a time when wild greens and pantry staples were transformed into something extraordinary.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Notes

Ingredients

For the Dough

• Lukewarm water: 250 ml (1 cup + 1 Tbsp)
• Extra-virgin olive oil: 3 Tbsp (45 ml)
• Honey or sugar (optional): 1 tsp (4–5 g)
• All-purpose flour or Italian “0” flour: 500 g (about 4 cups + 2 Tbsp)
  • (based on ~120 g per cup AP flour; results are consistent and reliable)
• Fresh yeast: 12 g (0.42 oz)
  OR Active dry yeast: 4 g (about 1¼ tsp)
  OR Instant yeast: 3 g (about 1 tsp)
• Salt: 12 g (2 tsp fine salt)

For the Filling

• Escarole: 1 kg (2.2 lb)
• Garlic: 2 cloves
• Pitted black olives (Gaeta preferred), sliced: 150 g (about 1 cup)
• Anchovies in oil: 50 g (1.75 oz, about 8–10 fillets)
• Raisins: 50 g (about ⅓ cup)
• Walnuts, roughly chopped: 50 g (about ½ cup)
• Capers, rinsed: 1 Tbsp
• Extra-virgin olive oil: as needed

Keyword escarole, pizza, escarole pizza,

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