Vegetable Cheese Pie
Ingredients
- For Pastry ⓘ
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour ⓘ
- 1/2 teaspoon salt ⓘ
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup shortening ⓘ
- 4 -6 tablespoons ice water ⓘ
- 1 large egg, beaten with 2 tbsp. water ⓘ
- For the Filling ⓘ
- 10 ounces fresh Baby Spinach ⓘ
- 2 medium leeks, chopped (pale green and white parts only) ⓘ
- 1/4 cup olive oil ⓘ
- 1 medium red onion, chopped ⓘ
- 2 medium carrots, diced (1/4 inch dice) ⓘ
- 2 cups diced zucchini (1/4 inch dice) ⓘ
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped ⓘ
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme ⓘ
- 1/4 teaspoon salt ⓘ
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ⓘ
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese ⓘ
Instructions
- Make Pastry.
- Blend together flour, salt, butter, and shortening with your fingertips, or a pastry blender just until most of the mixture resemble coarse meal with small (roughly pea-sized) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 4 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
- Squeeze a small handful: if it doesn't hold together, add ore ice eater 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture or pastry will be tough.)
- Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With the heel of your hand smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with a scraper and divide in half. Form into 2 balls, then flatten into 2 (5 inch disks). Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap until firm, about 1 hour.
- Roll out 1 disk (keep the other chilled) into an 11 inch round on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, then fit into pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Chill 30 minutes.
- Make Filling while Shell Chills.
- Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a 5 to 6 quart heavy pot. Stir in spinach and cook, covered over moderate heat until just wilted, approximately 1 minute. Drain in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze dry.
- Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain.
- Heat olive oil in a 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute red onion, leeks and carrots, stirring occasionally until onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add zucchini, garlic, thyme 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/8 teaspoons pepper. Saute stirring occasionally, until zucchini is just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Stir together ricotta, spinach, sauteed vegetables, Gruyere and the remaining 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/8 teaspoons pepper.
- Assemble and Bake Pie:
- Put baking sheet in the middle of oven and preheat to 425°F
- Roll out remaining disk of dough into an 11 inch round on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin and cut into 10 (3/4 inch wide) strips. Spoon filling into chilled pie shell. Arrange 5 pastry strips, 3/4 inch apart, over filling, trimming ends of strips. Arrange the remaining 5 strips, 3/4 inch apart over the other strips to form a lattice pattern, trimming ends. Press ends of the lattice onto edge of pie shell.
- Brush egg wash over pastry lattice and edge. Bake on hot baking sheet until the pastry is golden and filling is set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pie of a rack and cool to warm.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
1453
kcal
73% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).