Fridge-Cleanout Savory Pie

Recipe by
Rossella Maraio

In Italian home cooking, torta salata salvacena — literally "dinner-saving savory pie" — is the kind of recipe every cook keeps in their back pocket. No pastry crust, no special ingredients: just whatever vegetables you have on hand, grated raw, mixed into a simple batter of eggs, flour, and milk, and baked until golden.

This version uses potatoes and carrots, with cubed scamorza folded into the batter and Parmigiano Reggiano scattered on top alongside thin-sliced red onion. But the formula is built to flex — swap in zucchini, broccoli, or cauliflower, change the cheese, skip the onion. Everything goes into one bowl, transfers to a baking pan, and is ready in 35 minutes.

Serve it straight from the oven as a main, or at room temperature the next day. It keeps in the fridge for up to three days.

The base — eggs, flour, milk, and baking powder — works with almost any vegetable you'd normally sauté or roast. Grating them raw means no pre-cooking and faster prep. Watery vegetables like zucchini can go in as-is; just add them last and don't overmix. For cheese, anything that melts works: emmental, stracchino, or low-moisture mozzarella all hold up well in the oven.

You might also like:

• Savory Bread Pie
• Savory bread and vegetable cake
• Clear-the-fridge soup