Tiella di Gaeta Recipe | Italian Seafood Pie

This "tiella" is a savory pie, often referred to as a stuffed pizza, from the city of Gaeta. In this recipe, we'll show you how to make it stuffed with mussels, although other versions call for octopus, squid, or even just vegetables.

Tiella di Gaeta | Italian Savory Seafood Pie

Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:

For this recipe, you will need:

- 2 cups (240g) bread flour, plus extra for dusting

- 1 1/2 tsp (5g) dry yeast

- 2/3 cup (150ml) water

- Salt

- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan and topping

- 2 lbs (1 kg) fresh mussels

- 2 tbsp chopped parsley

- 1 clove garlic, diced

- 30-35 cherry tomatoes, halved

- Red pepper flakes to taste

- Fresh black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and yeast. Mix thoroughly. Begin adding the water a little bit at a time while mixing by hand. When most of the water (about 3/4) has been incorporated, knead in 2 tsp (12g) salt. Finish by mixing in the rest of the water and 3 tbsp olive oil.

When all of the ingredients have been added and the dough is solid, transfer it to a smooth work surface and knead it for a few minutes, or until it is evenly mixed. Dust it with flour if it's too sticky to comfortably handle. Don't worry if the surface of the dough isn't completely smooth yet.

Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make the dough much easier to work with.

Knead the dough again, folding and pressing it about 7-8 times. It shouldn't take long to achieve a very smooth dough ball. Place it back in the bowl, cover, and let rest again for at least an hour or up to 90 minutes.

While the dough rises, prepare the mussel filling. Clean the mussels and place in a large pan or pot over high heat. Cook covered, shaking the pot occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until all of the mussels have opened. If any mussels remain closed after the rest have opened, discard them as they were likely dead.

Allow the mussels to cool to the touch, then remove and discard the shells. Place the cooked mussels into a large bowl and mix them with the chopped parsley, diced garlic, cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes to taste, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside for later.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (205 C).

After the dough has risen for at least an hour, cut the dough ball in half and save one portion wrapped in plastic. Dusting with flour as necessary, roll the other out into a large circle with a rolling pin. It should be quite thin and large enough to drape over a 9-inch pie tin with plenty of margin.

Brush the pie tin with olive oil to prevent sticking, and carefully line it with the dough. Be sure to press the dough into the corners of the dish.

Fill the pie with the mussel filling, but be careful to first drain any excess moisture the mussels may have. Roll out the second dough portion as before, and use this to cover the top of the pie.

Trim the excess dough from the edge of the pie tin, leaving about an inch of overhang. Roll this inward to seal the pie shut. Finish by poking a few holes in the top with a fork, and brushing the entire surface of the crust with olive oil.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked on the bottom. Allow to cool completely before serving, preferably waiting until the next day.

Buon appetito!