Not My Mother's Easter Pie

Two years ago I shared a recipe for a vegan version of my mother’s traditional Easter Pie, a savory pie made with hot Italian sausage and ricotta cheese. As I mentioned in that post, I tweak my recipe a little each year. The filling is usually a 2 to 1 ratio of seasoned tofu to vegan sausage. (See recipe.)

This year, I tried something completely different. First, instead of making it as a pie, I shaped it into a roll for something a little different. The second big change was that instead of using already-made vegan sausage in the filling (combined with a tofu “ricotta”), I combined the tofu in a food processor with the ingredients for homemade vegan sausage (vital wheat gluten, spices, etc.). I also used approximately equal amounts of tofu to the sausage mixture, resulting in a firmer texture. I then shaped the mixture into a log and baked it. Once cooled, I wrapped it in a sheet of puff pastry and baked it until golden brown. (The recipe for this new version is below.)

While the flavor is similar to my traditional “pie” version, the texture is much firmer (owing to the ratio of tofu to “sausage”) making it a dream to slice. My family always ate a slice of Easter Pie cold for breakfast, but this new version also makes a lovely main dish served with roasted asparagus, carrots, and small red potatoes. Any way you slice it, this is definitely not my mother’s Easter Pie — it’s way better.

Not My Mother’s Easter Pie
Allow to cool at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife. (It’s also great served cold or at room temperature.)

1 cup wheat gluten flour (vital wheat gluten)
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 to 12 ounces firm tofu, crumbled
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheet, thawed

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan and set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine the wheat gluten flour, tapioca flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, whole and ground fennel seeds, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Pulse to mix.
3. Add the tofu, water, soy sauce, olive oil, and ketchup and process until well mixed.
4. Shape the mixture into a 7-inch log, wrap it in foil and place it in a baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes, turning once about halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
5. Roll out the pastry sheet on a floured surface. Place the cooled sausage log on the lower third of the pastry and fold in the sides. Roll up the pastry to enclose the sausage and use your fingers to seal the ends. Place the roll on a baking sheet, seam-side down, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Bake until the pastry is nicely browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.