Priazzo — Layers of Love, Built Like the Life I Rebuilt

The real estate market is strong this week. I showed 3 properties and closed on 1. The pipeline is strong. The phone rings with the steady rhythm of a business that has taken six years to build and refuses to slow down.

Alexander called from school this week. He is thriving and building a life with the quiet competence of a young man who watched his mother rebuild from nothing and decided that building is what Papadopouloses do. He still does not call Yia-yia enough. He never will.

I thought about Baba this week. Not the grief — the grief is always there, a familiar companion now — but the man. The way he stood at the bakery counter with his arms crossed. The way he hummed Greek songs he never knew the words to. The way he loved us in silence, which was the loudest love I have ever known.

I made moussaka because winter demands layers — eggplant, meat sauce, bechamel — each one building on the last like a warm blanket. The kitchen smelled like jasmine and salt air and I thought: this is what survives. Not the money or the stress or the arguments about phyllo. The food survives. The recipes survive. The love baked into every dish survives.

The house was quiet this evening. I sat at the kitchen table with a glass of wine and the remains of dinner and I thought about all the tables I have sat at — Mama's table in Tarpon Springs, the table in the South Tampa house I lost, the table in the apartment where I started over, this table where I have fed my children for years. Every table is a different chapter. The food connects them all.

I wanted moussaka — I always want moussaka when the week has been full and the house goes quiet — but what I had in the refrigerator told a different story, and so I made something else that understood the same language: layers. The Priazzo is not Greek, but it is built the way I build everything now, one layer at a time, each one resting on the one beneath it, each one necessary. Baba would have eaten it without a word and then had a second piece, which was his way of saying it was perfect.

Priazzo

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 cup warm water (about 110°F)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour, salt, and 2 tbsp olive oil; mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 30 minutes.
2. Cook the filling. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, ground beef, and onion. Cook, breaking up meat, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Drain excess fat and let cool slightly.
3. Mix the cheese layer. In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs, oregano, basil, and black pepper. Stir until well blended.
4. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or springform pan with olive oil.
5. Assemble the layers. Divide dough into two portions, one slightly larger. Roll the larger portion into a circle and press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Spoon the meat mixture over the cheese layer. Spread marinara sauce over the meat. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella on top.
6. Top and seal. Roll the second dough portion into a circle and lay it over the filling. Pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts together firmly to seal. Cut 3–4 small slits in the top crust to vent steam.
7. Bake. Bake at 375°F for 40–45 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 680 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 34g | Carbs: 55g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 980mg