Spinach Artichoke Ricotta Pie
Inspired by spinach-artichoke dip, this fancy fake-out recipe is perfect entertaining for brunch or lunch. You can make this dish up to a day ahead of time for a make-ahead meal.
Note: You will need an 8-inch or 9-inch spring-form pan to prepare this recipe.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- Grated nutmeg (about 1/2 teaspoon)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 box frozen spinach (10 ounces), defrosted
- 1 box frozen artichoke hearts (14 ounces), defrosted and chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 4 12-inch x 17-inch sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
In a medium size skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat the egg, then add the ricotta, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, pepper, spinach, artichoke hearts, breadcrumbs and the cooled onion and garlic mixture. Add 3/4 cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Reserve the filling while you prepare the spring-form pan.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and brush the entire inside of pan with it. Line one side of the pan at a time with phyllo: Lay one sheet with the short end in the middle of the bottom of the pan. Drape the rest of the sheet up the side of the pan and over the edge, leaving a good amount of overhang. Brush the section on the bottom of the pan with more butter, then repeat with another sheet of phyllo on the unlined half of the pan, overlapping the sheets a bit in the center.
Sprinkle the phyllo-lined bottom of the pan with remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and season with some pepper. Turn the pan so that one of the draped sides is facing you and repeat the layering action in the opposite direction, leaving you with lots of overhang on all the sides of the pan. Brush with any remaining butter.
With care, transfer the ricotta filling into the phyllo-lined pan; spread it out evenly, from edge to edge, trying not tear the phyllo. Working one at a time, fold each of the draped overhanging phyllo sheets over the top of the filling, pressing in down gently. Brush each folded-over sheet with a little more butter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Let cool for about 5 minutes, remove the outer ring of the pan and serve. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, visit
www.yum-o.org.
