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Ricotta rustic pie

Spinach ricotta rustic pie makes a yummy light dinner or a fantastic appetiser.  If you are looking for something light and meatless, this pie is perfect.

prep time 10 min     cook time 30-40 min
ingredients
  • 1 pre-made puff pastry
  • 300g spinach, cooked to wilt
  • 1 Tbls olive oil
  • 250g ricotta
  • 60g Parmigiano, grated
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 yolk + a dash of milk

1. Preheat oven to 180 C

2. Roll out the pastry dough and place it in a lightly greased round pan.

3. Cook the spinach in oil for 10 min to wilt. Add some salt. Then drain well.

4. Mix in a bowl ricotta and Parmigiano and add the well drained spinach, a dash of salt and some pepper.

5. Place the filling onto the pie crust and brush the dough with a beaten yolk and milk mixture.

6. Bake in a 180 C oven for 30-40 min until the crust is golden.

BUON APPETITO!

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Zucchini pie

To make savoury pies you can use puff pastry or traditional pie dough, either home made or store bought. Today I paired zucchini with speck, but you can use a plethora of ingredients.

prep time 10 min     cook time 35-45 min
ingredients
  • 350g puff pastry
  • 500g zucchini, sliced or rounds
  • 100g speck (pancetta or bacon is fine), diced or in strips
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 ml milk (or heavy cream)
  • 30 grated Parmigiano
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 C.

2.  Cook the zucchini in a pan with the oil for 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the speck.

3. Mix the eggs vigorously, add the milk and cheese and a dash of salt and pepper.

4. Roll out the puff pastry into a baking dish, previously covered with parchment paper, prick it with the prongs of a fork and add the zucchini filling.

5. Pour the egg mix on top and place in the oven until golden.

6. Check the time on your oven. Mine always requires more time than the recipes suggest.

Tip: you can replace the egg and milk mixture with 250g of ricotta.

BUON APPETITO!

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Sunflower spinach pie

This spinach pie has a very scenographic presence and looks complicated to make but I assure you it is not. Especially if you use store bought puff pastry. Sometimes you are allowed to cut corners. 😛

prep time 15 min     cook time 45-55 min
ingredients
  • 2 round sheets of puff pastry
  • 400g baby spinach
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 300g ricotta cheese
  • 50g grated cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • sesame seeds
  • 1 yolk + 2 Tbsp milk

1. Preheat the oven to 190C.

2. ​Begin by preparing the spinach filling. Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook the spinach for a few minutes until it is wilted. Add salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and grated cheese. Mix well until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.Taste and check for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

4. Place one puff pastry sheet in the middle of a large baking pan lined with parchment paper.

5. ​Place 2 scoops of the spinach filling in the center of the circle.

6. Create a ring with the remaining spinach filling leaving about 3cm border all around the puff pastry. Do not allow the ring to connect with the filling in the center.

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7. Place the other puff pastry circle on top and seal the edges by pressing down with the tines of a fork.

10. ​Place a small bowl over the center filling and press down to create an indentation.

11. Cut 4 slits around the pastry leaving the centre circle intact. Cut more slits for a total of 16 petals. Brush the pie with the egg mixture. Pierce with the tines of a fork at the centre and on the petals to allow the steam to release during baking.

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11. Twist each petal (the slices) so that the filling side faces up. Take care to not separate the slices from the center. They look a little wonky but they’ll adjust in the oven 🙂

12. ​Sprinkle sesame seeds over center and bake 45-50 minutes or until the pastry is puffy and golden all around.

BUON APPETITO!