Homemade Vegetarian Italian Calzones Recipe

Vegetarian Italian Calzones are another delicious variation of the quintessential Italian dish pizza, albeit stuffed (crescent shaped).

Instead of topping the pizza dough base with sauce, veggies etc., the fillings are added like in a hand pie or Gujiya (an Indian dessert), folded over, sealed and then baked.

Once golden brown and baked, it is served as such like a hand pie or with a side of pizza sauce.

I like to serve them with a spicy pizza sauce to smother them with which I prepare fresh.

CALZONES

Calzones are actually like pizza turnovers, filled with vegetables like chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, green chilies or jalapenos, olives, mozzarella cheese and if you want, any meat you prefer.

Once baked, they are served hot, smothered in marinara or pizza sauce (the way my family likes it).

How did I come across this dish?

Well, when I first got married in the early 80s, whilst living in the US, my hubby used to rave about this Italian place which he used to frequent for lunch with his colleagues and they used to serve a dish called "cannoli" which he said was like pizza but like a turnover but with sauce on the side!

By that time, I had mastered the art of making homemade pizza as a Friday Dinner thing!

So, being an avid and passionate baker by then, decided to make it at home using the same pizza dough, same fillings and same sauce as i used to make for pizza but in a new avatar!

Well, my husband was floored by the taste and flavor which he said was actually better than the restaurant one (wink, wink; more chilies and spices like any Indian would like!).

That was it!

It became a dish we have been making the day after enjoying fresh homemade pizza and to this day, my boys (who are now men) and their wives love them too!

 

 

It is a great party dish as you can bake the calzones ahead of time and serve them with hot sauce just before eating.

If you have leftover pizza dough, you can try another of Italy’s gift to the world!! Or make some just to enjoy this not so popular variation of pizza!

At our home, calzones are always served the day after we have had homemade pizza; so I always make plenty of pizza dough to satisfy our cravings for pizza as well as calzones!!!

Homemade Vegetarian Italian Calzones

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

For the calzone:

1 ¼ cup warm water (not hot)

2 ¼  tsp active dry yeast

2 tsp sugar

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

3 to 4 cups all purpose flour or maida

1 medium bell pepper or capsicum, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

8 to 10 button mushrooms, washed well, and chopped

2 green chilliles, chopped

½ cup olives, sliced

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

For the pizza sauce:

6 tomatoes, cut into quarters

2 onions, peeled and cut into big chunks

2 green chillies or jalapenos, slit

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ cup tomato puree or paste

½ tsp dried oregano leaves

½ tsp Italian seasoning

Salt to taste

Method:

For the calzone dough:

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast along with the sugar.  Add the warm water and mix gently.

Cover and let it proof for about 5 minutes.  If the yeast is active and good, it will bubble and froth.

Now add the oil, salt and 3 or more cups of flour. Mix well to form a soft dough and knead for about 2 to 3 minutes. Place the dough in a greased or oiled bowl, roll it to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl and place in a warm place to rise till doubled, about 2 hours.

 

 

 

 

 

To make the sauce:

In a pressure cooker, place the tomatoes, onions and green chillies and give one whistle.

Remove and blend it to a smooth paste with the garlic.

Pour this into a deep pan, add the tomato puree or paste, salt, oregano and Italian seasoning, mix well and bring to boil.

Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

To bake the calzone:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Centigrade.

Take 2 inch balls of the dough and roll into a medium thin circle. On one half of the circle, layer the bellpepper, onions, mushrooms, green chillies, olives and cheese.

 Divide the fillings among the calzones.

Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and seal the edges.

Place the uncooked calzones onto greased baking sheets and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes till they are well baked and light golden brown.

You can brush the top of the calzones with any Olive oil before baking; these give a brown crust to the calzone.

Serve these warm calzones with the hot prepared sauce.

You can serve them with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese for a more authentic Italian touch.

Note:

You can also use other vegetables in calzones like spinach, broccoli, zucchini, any squash or any other vegetable you prefer.