Baked Spinach Ricotta Tart Recipes

SPINACH AND RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick pie shell (9" pie pan) and prebake in hot oven for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned. Turn oven down to 350 degrees when pie crust is done.
• Cook spinach until thawed and warm. Drain very well, squeezing excess moisture out with hands. (Do not precook spinach if using fresh).
• Saute onion in butter and stir in spinach, salt, nutmeg and black pepper.
• In separate bowl, combine Ricotta cheese, cream Parmesan cheese and eggs and blend well.
• Add spinach mixture and stir well.
• Pour into prebaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until custard is set.
• Garnish with finely chopped parsley and sliced cherry tomatoes if desired.
• May be served hot or room temperature.

SPINACH RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• Wrap ricotta tightly in fine cheesecloth; place in a colander over a bowl. Place a heavy bowl or cans on top; let drain, refrigerated, for 3 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 1/2-inch springform pan with olive-oil cooking spray. Place drained ricotta, spinach, basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth; scrape sides as needed, about 1 minute. Add eggs and egg white; blend about 5 seconds. Pour into prepared pan; bake until set and just brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest on a cooling rack 5 minutes; run a paring knife around edges before unmolding. Cut into wedges; serve.

BAKED SPINACH RICOTTA TART

Steps:

• Place the ricotta in a strainer lined with cheesecloth and allow to drain over a bowl, covered and refrigerated, for 2 hours. To prepare the tart dough, combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a bowl. Add the chilled butter and, using your fingertips or two knives, blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Work in the ice water until the dough holds together. Form the dough into a smooth, flat disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the dough into a 16inch disk. Place the rolled out dough into a 10- by 2 1/2-inch deep cake pan or springform mold. Pressing with your fingertips, flute the top edges of the dough. Place in the freezer and chill thoroughly, about 30 minutes. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over high heat and saute the spinach, stirring constantly until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and half the pepper. Place the cooked spinach in a colander and drain. Chop fine and reserve. In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and cook the onion 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat until translucent. Add the marjoram and prosciutto. Stir and cook an additional 2 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the drained ricotta, spinach, onion, and prosciutto. Season with the nutmeg and remaining salt and pepper. Set aside. Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pastry weights. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the dough is set. Remove the foil and beans and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until the dough is light brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Spread the ricotta and spinach mixture evenly in the tart, place on the middle rack of' the oven, and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the filling is set and the top golden brown. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes, slice into wedges, and serve.