When I make soup, salads, and pastas I often buy a bag, a box, or a bunch of assorted greens to randomly throw in the mix. Kale, chard, spinach, mustard, even dandelion. They’re practically interchangeable in the freestyle method of cooking I employ most often these busy days. The only problem with this theory is I’m often left with greens of varying varieties sitting in my veg drawer. Leaving me to wonder what will become of them before they turn to slime. Well, Ricotta Pie with Lots of Greens is the answer I have for that little problem.
Ricotta Pie with Spinach, Kale, and Mustard Greens
I chose to make this pie with spinach (for flavor), kale (for texture), and mustard (for pizzazz), but this is a great recipe to use up the odds and ends of whatever you have laying around. This pie takes a whopping two pounds of assorted greens so if you need to you can always supplement your stash of scraps with a whole, brand new bag of kale or spinach. I wouldn’t call that cheating. GREG
PS If you live north of the equator this month has probably been a scorcher. A hot from the oven savory Ricotta Pie may not seem like the perfect respite from the heat. But honestly this pie makes a great all-in-one meal during warm weather because it’s best when served at room temperature.
Ricotta Pie with Spinach, Kale, and Mustard Greens (Torta Rustica)
Print This Recipe Yield 8Source Only slightly adapted from Tasting RomePublishedYou may use any combination of greens so long as they total 2 pounds in weight. I chose spinach (for flavor), kale (for texture), and mustard (for pizzazz), but this is a great recipe to use up the odds and ends of whatever you have laying around.
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (plus more for salting the water)
- 1 pound fresh spinach (stems included)
- ½ pound lacinato kale (cavola nero in Italian) (any very thick stems slightly trimmed)
- ½ pound mustard greens (any very thick stems slightly trimmed)
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (cut into ¼‑inch dice)
- ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- ½ pound whole milk ricotta (drained if necessary)
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 4 large eggs (divided)
- freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 1 pound prepared puff pastry dough
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water. When the salt has dissolved, add the spinach, chard, and mustard greens and blanch for 1 minute, until the stalks are tender. Drain and allow to cool, about 20 minutes. Squeeze out excess water very well and chop into small, confetti-size pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the greens and cook until they are tender and have darkened, about 5 minutes more.
Transfer the greens to a large bowl and add the parsley, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, three of the eggs (lightly beaten), and pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg. Set aside.
Slice off a third of the puff pastry and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the remaining pastry into a 11-inch round, 1⁄8 inch thick. Place the pastry in 9‑inch pie pan, pressing it into the corners and leaving enough overhang to drape over the edge of the pie pan. Chill the pastry lined pie pan for at least 20 minutes before continuing.
Once chilled, spoon the filling into the pastry, pressing down lightly if necessary. The greens should be dense and compact, but it’s okay if they are gently rounded on top.
Roll out the reserved pastry into a 10 × 6‑inch rectangle. With a knife or fluted pastry wheel, cut it into twelve ½‑inch-wide strips. Use these to make a lattice over the top of the pie, pressing them to adhere to the edge of the bottom layer of pastry. Trim the overhanging pastry to align with the edge of the pan. Brush the lattice with the beaten egg.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is deeply, golden brown.
Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. The pie is best served at room temperature.
This is such a beautiful dish — one of those that everyone says is too beautiful to cut. Me? Cut the thing and give me a piece! I love the greens you used, and I can only imagine how good this will be made with local goat ricotta!
Hi Greg, this is my third attempt to comment on your blog. I love your tarta rustica . I just planted some Swiss chard plants.This would be the perfect recipe.
What a delicious way to get your greens!
What a wonderful dish! I’ve made something a little bit similar several times, but it’s been ages. And now is such a great time, with an abundance of fresh local greens in the market. Our oven is very well insulated, and our AC is quite efficient, so we do use our oven at this time of the year (and it’s going to be over 100 degrees F for us today; not unknown in these parts, but much warmer than usual). This looks terrific — a gorgeous dish both visually and taste-wise too, I’ll bet.