Jeff Misenti
Difficulty Level: easy
There are ways to make challenging recipes simple. For instance, a savory ricotta can look intimidating, but if you use store-bought pastry, the cook is all about the filling. It still looks amazing once baked, and you don’t need to tell anyone about your short-cut.
Using store-bought items isn’t cheating, it’s being economical with your time, patience, and, more often than not, your budget.
The filling in this recipe is simple, it’s ricotta and spinach. The ricotta makes it smooth and creamy, while the spinach adds color and some extra flavor.
Here’s the thing, this recipe is flexible. Don’t want spinach? Use bacon, sausage, or anything else. Plus, you can serve it as a main dish with a salad, as a side dish, or as an appetizer.
Check out the ingredients and cooking steps below.
Rustic Ricotta Pie Ingredients
- 1 roll of store-bought pie crust
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
Rustic Ricotta Pie Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This is for when you bake the crust and filling later.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over a medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and chopped spinach to the skillet and cook for 3 more minutes. The spinach should wilt.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and eggs. Mix until smooth.
- Once the spinach, onion, and garlic have cooled, add the mixture to the bowl and stir until everything is well combined.
- Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Next, unroll the pie crust and carefully place it into a 9-inch pie pan.
- We recommend trimming any extra dough hanging over the edges at this point.
- Pour the ricotta filling into the crust and spread it evenly with a spatula.
- Bake it in the over for 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown.
- Once cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.