Spinach Ricotta Pie is a superfood cheesecake

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Spinach Ricotta Pie is a superfood cheesecake Popeye the Sailor would approve of.  The cartoon legend took it straight from the can but I think he would approve of this delicious deep-dish savory pie loaded with nutrients. 

Creamed Spinach – YUCK!

Okay.  I get it.  You ate way too much creamed spinach as a kid.  I confess – it took me a long time to warm up to this healthy leaf.  My mom was a decent but unimaginative cook.  Five kids will do that to you!   Dinners had to be quick, easy, and inexpensive.  Frozen creamed spinach was the iron supplement in my house growing up. It wasn’t until greens became sexy and spinach salad became an alternative to iceberg lettuce with a sliced tomato on a restaurant menu that I got turned on and tuned in to the culinary delights this vegetable has to offer.

Pie, Quiche, Flan, Tart – What’s the diff?

Crust, Filling, Depth and Temperature.  Those are the defining factors in what the resulting dish will be called. You’ll find a lot of crossover in dishes. The chart below will help you sort out the basics of these types of pastries.

Superfoods: Leaves and Roots, Fins and Moo

We tend to think of superfoods coming from the plant kingdom or the ocean, but dairy is a great source of nutrition. Superfoods from vegetables and seafood are high in antioxidants helpful to fight cancer, healthy fats to ward of heart disease, and fiber to prevent diabetes and digestive problems. Dairy is a source of calcium and protein.

Spinach is packed with nutrients.  It’s high in vitamin C and K, carotenoids, folic acid, iron and calcium.  Plant compounds lutein, nitrates, quercetin, zeaxanthin, and kaempferol contribute to a healthy diet. 

Ricotta is a versatile whey cheese for those who are health conscious. One half cup contains 25% of your daily calcium requirement and 14 grams of protein. It’s low in sodium and high in phosphorus, Vitamins A and B and zinc.

Spinach Ricotta Pie is a healthy superfood dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For dessert, try my Lemon Almond Ricotta Cake! Not only is is nutritious, it’s gluten free too! Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Spinach Ricotta Pie

Spinach Ricotta Pie is a new presentation of a classic comfort food. Light and creamy, this modern twist on creamed spinach will become a family favorite.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, dinner, lunch, supper

Cuisine: American, European, Greek

Keyword: Deep Dish Pie Crust, Goat cheese, Ricotta, Spinach, spinach pie

Equipment

• Food processor
• skillet
• 9-10 inch pie tin
• Large mixing bowl
• Pastry brush
• Large piece of parchment paper

Ingredients

Crust

• 6 tbsp butter, chilled
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup additional flour for rolling out dough
• 4-6 tbsp buttermilk, chilled substitution: chilled water or milk

Filling

• 1 tsp butter
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 lb spinach- fresh, stemmed and finely chopped or frozen* 4-6 cups, depending on size of leaves
• 2 cups ricotta
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp basil, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten
• nutmeg to taste
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water for egg wash

Instructions

Gather your ingredients

• Gather and measure all of your ingredients.
  
• Preheat the oven to 375°F

Make the crust

• Keep the butter and buttermilk chilled until ready to use. I like to put them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to ensure that they are really cold!
• Put flour and butter in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse or use a low setting to cut butter into the flour. Process until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
  
• Processing on the low setting, add up to 3 tbsp. of the buttermilk to the flour butter mixture. If the mixture looks dry, add buttermilk a tbsp. at a time until the dough forms a ball in the bowl. This happens quickly when the correct amount of liquid is introduced into the pastry.
• Place the parchment paper on your work surface and sprinkle with flour. Remove the pastry from the processor bowl and place on the center of the floured parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry out into a circle larger than the rim of the pie tin. It should feel light and somewhat spongy and be about 1/8 of an inch thick.
• Place the dough into the pie tin and crimp the rim. Trim off excess dough and place into the fridge until ready to use.
  

Make the filling

• Chop the spinach and set aside.
  
• Melt the butter in the skillet on low heat. Do not allow it brown.
  
• Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
  
• Add the chopped spinach, basil, salt, and pepper and cook on low heat until the spinach is sweated and just wilting. Do not overcook. Remove mixture from the heat.
  
• Combine the ricotta, eggs, flour and grated cheese in a large bowl.
  
• Add the spinach mixture. Combine thoroughly.
  
• Fill the crust to just below the rim. Grate or sprinkle nutmeg over the top. Dip the pastry brush into the egg wash and paint the edge of the crust.
  
• Bake for 45 minutes or until the center doesn't jiggle. The filling will rise slightly, but it shouldn't spill over the edge.
  

Notes

Making the crust: All types of flour behave differently when liquid and fat are added.  A lot depends upon humidity, age of the flour, absorbency of the flour, even altitude.  Always start with the minimal amount of liquid to bind the pastry.  You can always add more liquid if the pastry is dry and not holding together.  If you add too much liquid and the pastry is wet and sticky, you can add some flour in small amounts until you get the desired consistency.

Rolling out the dough:  Using parchment paper assures that you can move the crust in one piece from the work surface to the pie tin without breaking it.  If you don’t have parchment paper, don’t fret.  You can use plastic wrap – it’s a bit slippery and hard to work with so you will want to use a large piece that you can stretch and secure tightly over the work surface .  If you use a silicone mat or any other surface, be sure to generously flour the surface before rolling out the dough.  This will help to prevent sticking when you try to move it.   Carefully roll the dough into a loose tube as you gently nudge the bottom of the dough away from the work surface.  Place it over the tin and carefully unroll it as you let it sink into the tin.  Press gently into place, finish the edges and trim any excess.

How to roll a perfect circle:  Think of a compass and the cardinal directions.  North is in front of you.  Flatten the dough into a thick disc.  Horizontally, center the rolling pin west (W) to east (E) and push away from you towards the north (N).  Bring the rolling pin back to the center and rotate it to face east (E).  Press the dough with the same amount of pressure in each direction continuing with  E, S and W, then add in NE, SE, SW and NW and then the midpoints of NNE, ENE, ESE etc. Keep going until you have the desired size and thickness of the circle you want.  The rule of thumb is to make the crust at least one inch larger than the widest part of the tin.   A few turns around and you should achieve the shape you desire.  It sounds complicated but it’s common sense and simple and you’ll get the hang of it quickly.

Cutting in the fat:  If you don’t have a food processor, you can use two forks or a wire pastry cutter.  It helps to have the butter cut into really small bits and very cold before cutting into the flour.  Freeze the butter until it’s almost to firm to cut and then cut it into 1/4 inch or smaller size cubes.  Never use your hands to blend in the butter as they are too warm and will take the chill off the butter.  Have patience.  It takes longer than you think and a little elbow grease.  The end result should look like coarse sand or cornmeal.

Liquid: Always keep the liquid very cold.  Water, milk or buttermilk are all good for making pastry.  Buttermilk helps to make a light and flakey crust.  

Grated cheese:  You can use any grated cheese.  I like to use a sharp cheddar as it adds a complex flavor.  Mozzarella will render a more neutral taste. 

Chopping the spinach:  A food processor really makes quick work of chopping a large amount of spinach.  Don’t overload the processor bowl.  Process the leaves in small batches in bursts of about 3 seconds.  Seriously, that all.  Otherwise, you will make paste – which, BTW, is okay if you want to make a spinach pesto!  

*Frozen chopped spinach can be substituted.  Be sure to thaw completely and press out as much water as possible.  You don’t want excess liquid in the mixture or the pie won’t set up correctly.