Stuffed pizza pie with summer vegetables

Every year in August, swarms of tourists from northern Italy arrive in Romagna to celebrate Summer New Year, as the day is also called, at the beach. Kids throw water at each other and stuff their faces with ice-cream, bomboloni [doughnuts] and pizza. The ritual starts at 9am and continues until well after 8pm. Once night falls, fishermen grill sardines and seafood on the harbour and people eat and dance on the streets, waiting for the fireworks to begin at 11pm.

Italians also usually celebrate August 15 with a large lunch, and this vegie pie that tastes like eggplant parmigiana enclosed in pizza would be a great addition to the spread. The crust is actually very similar to pizza, which you can make instead of a pie. Whichever approach you take, this dish is all about Italian summer produce at its best: zucchini, tomatoes, onions and eggplants. They’re abundant in our garden at the moment and here they shine.