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 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
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 tbspbutter, chilled
1.5cupsall purpose flour
1/4cupadditional flour for rolling out dough
4-6tbspbuttermilk, chilledsubstitution: chilled water or milk
Filling
1tspbutter
1cuponion, diced
1lbspinach- fresh, stemmed and finely chopped or frozen*4-6 cups, depending on size of leaves
2cupsricotta
¼cupall purpose flour
½cupgrated sharp cheddar cheese
1tbspbasil, chopped
1tspsalt
½tspground pepper
3eggs, beaten
nutmegto taste
1egg, beaten with 1 tsp waterfor 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.