Spinach Ricotta Pie With A Hint Of Feta Food

SPINACH RICOTTA PIE WITH A HINT OF FETA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a heavy pot over high heat.
• Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the spinach in batches, if necessary, and saute until the ribbons are just wilted.
• Lightly beat the ricotta and the eggs together in a bowl.
• Add the spinach mixture, feta, oregano and salt and pepper.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

SPINACH AND FETA PIE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the garlic, onions and chard stems until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt to combine. Add 1 cup water, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook without stirring until the rice is tender but not mushy, about 12 minutes. Uncover, add the spinach, chard leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool (stirring with a large spoon will speed this up).
• 2. When the filling is cool, stir in the egg and then the feta, dill, raisins, pine nuts and lemon zest.
• 3. Place a large piece of parchment paper on a work surface. Lay out one sheet of phyllo and brush all over with some of the melted butter. Lay another sheet crosswise on top and brush with butter again. Working to form a large round of phyllo layers, lay an additional 6 sheets of phyllo dough diagonally over the first 2 sheets, brushing each sheet with butter, so they overlap in the center. Spread the filling in the center of the sheets and bring all the loose ends of the phyllo to rest on top to make a free-form pie, using the butter to help the pieces stick to each other. Lay 4 of the remaining 6 sheets of phyllo evenly over the top of the pie, tucking the edges under the bottom to form an enclosed disk and brushing each piece of dough with butter. Use the last 2 sheets, if necessary, to cover the filling or enclose the circle. Brush the outside of the pie with butter.
• 4. Lift the parchment with the pie onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the phyllo is golden brown and crispy, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with the Tomato Salad on the side.
• Toss the tomatoes with the pepperoncini and the olives in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

ITALIAN SPINACH AND RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Place spinach in a skillet over medium heat and cook until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry, and chop finely.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and add onion. Cook until onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Stir ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 2 whole eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper into the cooled spinach mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish.
• Unwrap the phyllo dough. Keep covered with a damp cloth to prevent phyllo sheets from drying out.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo over the buttered dish flush with the edge so that excess phyllo hangs over on only one side of the dish. Brush lightly with melted butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo at a slight angle to the first one. Continue in this manner, with up to 12 sheets, brushing each sheet with butter and working clockwise to lay each at a slight angle to the previous sheet.
• Spoon cheese and spinach mixture evenly into the phyllo-lined dish. Using the back of a spoon, make six indentations in the filling, then carefully place 1 egg yolk in each. Season each yolk with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of melted butter.
• Take the extra phyllo dough hanging over the edges of the dish and fold it over to the centre to cover the filling, 1 sheet of phyllo at a time, brushing each one with butter. Brush the top of the whole pie with butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the phyllo pastry is a dark golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm.

QUICK RICOTTA AND SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sprinkle pie crust with flour.
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.
• Mix in spinach and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Saute until all liquid from spinach evaporates, about 3 minutes.
• Combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in large bowl.
• Mix in eggs.
• Add spinach mixture; blend well.
• Spoon spinach mixture into pie crust.
• Bake until filling is set in center and brown on top, about 45-50 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Enjoy!

TORTA RUSTICA WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Alternatively, mix together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add butter, working the pieces into the flour with your hands, squeezing and pinching them until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
• Add egg, egg white and lemon zest, and pulse after each addition. If working by hand, whisk together egg, egg white and lemon zest in a separate bowl, then mix into the butter mixture. Slowly add iced wine, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse or mix by hand until the dough just comes together. You may not need all the liquid. The dough should be moist, but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather and press it into a ball. Divide into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other, and shape into disks. Wrap the disks tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make the filling: If your ricotta seems watery, put it in a sieve and let it drain while you cook the spinach.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and a large pinch of salt, and continue to cook until spinach is very dry, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. If any liquid accumulates as the spinach sits, pour it out of the bowl (you don't want it to water down the ricotta).
• In a food processor, purée drained ricotta and eggs until just combined and smooth. Add to the bowl with the spinach and fold in mozzarella, pecorino, ham (if using), parsley, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red-pepper flakes and nutmeg. Set aside when rolling out dough (or chill for up to 4 hours).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger pastry dough disk to a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the dough up the sides of the pan. Scrape filling into crust and spread evenly. Roll out second pastry disk to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut 1/2-inch-wide strips and weave into a lattice on top of the filling. Seal, trim and crimp the edges. Brush the top of the torta with the egg wash.
• Place torta on sheet pan and bake until crust is crisp and brown, and filling is firm, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before serving.

SPINACH, RICOTTA & FETA PIE

Steps:

• Lightly grease your quiche/pie dish.
• Put the shortcrust pastry into your quiche/pie dish and cut to fit, pressing firmly around.
• Add olive oil into frypan and saute onions, garlic and oregano for about 10 minutes on low heat or until onions are translucent.
• Squeeze spinach free of water and add to the pan with the parsley and continue to fry until the rest of the water from the spinach has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.
• In a large mixing bowl add all the cheeses together and the eggs and mix through. Add the spinach mixture and salt and pepper to taste and fold through until all mixed well.
• Pour mixture into your prepared dish and bake in oven at 180 degrees (fanforced) or 200 degrees (not fan forced) for 1 hour or until golden brown on top. Check with finger that the top of the pie springs back.
• Cool until slightly warmed or to room temperature (approx half hour of cooling time should do it).
• Slice, serve and enjoy! Great with a nice garden salad.