Spinach and ricotta tart
Crostata salata di spinaci
Recipe by Valentina Harris
SERVES 8
Preparation 30 minutes plus 1 hour resting
Cooking 40minutes
for the pastry
375g plain flour
180g unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
juice of ½ lemon
50g Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp sage leaves, finely chopped
for the filling
1kg chard or spinach, cleaned, trimmed
500g ricotta
3 egg yolks
50g Parmesan Cheese
salt and pepper
Blend the flour with the butter till it resembles breadcrumbs. You can do this using a food processor or by hand. Then add the sage, Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Add the egg yolk and enough cold water to bind the pastry together. Wrap in cling film and rest for 1 hour in the fridge.
Cook the spinach without water in a large pan. Drain and squeeze dry. Chop the spinach coarsely and mix with the ricotta, the egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and seasoning.
Roll out the chilled pastry and line a well-greased and lightly floured 30cm tart tin. Fill with the mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Use the rest of the pastry to create a lattice pattern on top and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC/Gas Mark 4 until lightly browned and set - about 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold, on its own, or with salad.
