At this time of year, as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s handy to know how to make a Spinach Ricotta Pie. This Northern Italian specialty makes a tasty appetizer, side dish, or entree for family and friends who follow a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet.
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Table of Contents
- What is Northern Italian Cuisine?
- What is Cucina Povera?
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- Collaboration with Katie at Heritage Ways
- Ingredients to Make a Spinach Ricotta Pie
- How to Make a Spinach Ricotta Pie
- Variations
- Recipe Tips
- Storing and Reheating
- How to Serve a Spinach Ricotta Pie
- More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Lehman’s Discount Code
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- Kitchen Academy Videos
- Northern Italian Spinach Ricotta Pie Recipe Recipe
- Shop for items used in this blog post or video
What is Northern Italian Cuisine?
My mom’s family hails from a very small town in Northern Italy, not far from the Swiss border. So, it may not surprise you to learn that the food from this region of Italy is quite hearty, with an emphasis on:
- Beef, pork, rabbit, chicken, quail, and wild game meats, including every part of the animal
- Butter and cream, including cream sauces
- Cheeses, including Gorgonzola, Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Ricotta
- Eggs, mostly chicken and some quail
- Herbs (fresh), including basil, parsley, sage, and thyme
- Leafy Greens, including Arugula, Chard, Chicory, Escarole, Kale, Radicchio, and Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Polenta (a corn dish)
- Risotto (a rice dish)
Here are recipes for a few of the Italian dishes that I learned from my mom:
- Learn how to Make Chickpea and Pork Rib Soup
- How to Make Cioppino – An Italian Fish Stew Recipe
- Grilled Polenta Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
- How to Make Fermented Giardiniera
- Italian Ricotta Christmas Cookies Recipe
What is Cucina Povera?
Northern Italian cuisine is often described as cucina povera—as opposed to a high cuisine—because it relies on fresh local ingredients from the surrounding mountains that are prepared in a simple yet tasty way. And most importantly, nothing goes to waste.
Cucina Povera specifically refers to a style of Italian cooking rooted in frugality, humble local ingredients readily available to rural peasant populations, and very basic cooking techniques. The term is often translated as “the kitchen of the poor,” “poor kitchen,” or “peasant cooking.”
However, as I have shared in the past, there is nothing poor about this type of cooking. Many traditional Northern Italian dishes are now seen on the menus of very fancy restaurants with accompanying high prices.
But as traditional cooks, we are blessed to know how to make these simple yet tasty dishes right in our own kitchens—our own cucina poveras! The most important thing to note about this style of cooking—no matter where you live—is that it’s all about making delicious food with simple ingredients that are readily available. And this Spinach Ricotta Pie recipe “fits the bill” perfectly!
This pie is filled with leafy greens, two types of cheeses common to Northern Italy, plus lots of eggs. It’s simple to make but rich in taste!
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Collaboration with Katie at Heritage Ways
This blog post and accompanying video are part of a collaboration I am participating in with my sweet friend Katie, who many of you know as Miss Katie over at Heritage Ways.
Once you learn how to make this savory Spinach Ricotta Pie, head over and visit awhile with Miss Katie, who will share how to make individual sweet pies with a whole host of different fillings to satisfy every taste. And if you ever thought making individual pies was difficult, Miss Katie will show you how simple it is with a few tips and tricks!
Ingredients to Make a Spinach Ricotta Pie
Find the full printable recipe with ingredients below.
To make your Spinach Ricotta Pie, you’ll make your pie crust and pie filling.
For the Pie Crust:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup salted butter
- Ice water
For the Spinach Ricotta Pie Filling:
- 3 ten-ounce boxes of frozen spinach
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 3 cups Ricotta (As an alternative to store-bought, I show you How to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese – The Easy Way!)
- 5 eggs
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
How to Make a Spinach Ricotta Pie
Find the full printable recipe with measurements below.
- Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all the water.
- Sauté the onions in the butter and add the salt and black pepper.
- Add the spinach and allow it to absorb all the butter.
- Transfer the spinach mixture to a bowl and mix in the Parmigiano Reggiano, reserving about 1 tablespoon, and set aside.
- Make the pie crust and then refrigerate it.
- To the spinach mixture, add the Ricotta and eggs and mix well.
- Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and roll it out to fit a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Pour the spinach mixture into the pie crust, smooth out the top, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Bake in a 370°F (188°C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes until the crust and the top of the pie are golden.
Variations
Try these variations for making or serving your Spinach Ricotta Pie.
Cheese Substitute: If you don’t have Parmigiano Reggiano, you can use Pecorino Romano instead.
Leafy Greens Substitute: Although I am using spinach in this pie, you can also substitute chard.
Individual Pies: If you would prefer to make individual Spinach Ricotta Pies in the same way Miss Katie shows you how to make individual sweet pies, it’s easy to do. Just press small portions of pie dough into individual muffin tins and then pour in your filling. You’ll decrease the baking time to about 30 minutes until the crust and the top of the pies both look golden.
Based on an Easter Recipe: When Easter rolls around, you can try your hand at making a Torta Pasqualina, which is the original dish that this simple Spinach Ricotta Pie is based on. The Torta Pasqualina is a bit more challenging to make, but it’ll be a show-stopper on your Easter table!
Recipe Tips
If you plan to make this Spinach Ricotta Pie for a holiday gathering, make the pie crust in advance and store it in your freezer, well-wrapped, for up to 2 months. When you are ready to make the pie, remove the dough from the freezer, allow it to thaw slightly, and then roll it out to fit your baking dish.
Storing and Reheating
Spinach Ricotta Pie is best eaten the day it is made.
How to Serve a Spinach Ricotta Pie
What makes Spinach Ricotta Pie so versatile is that you can serve it as an appetizer, a side dish, or a main dish. It’s perfect as your main meal or as an accompaniment to your holiday recipes.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
How to Make a Blender Pumpkin Cake with Spelt
Delight your guests with dessert that’s in the holiday spirit but is something different from pumpkin pie.
Turkey Neck Pot-au-Feu Recipe
Surprise yourself and your family and friends with this easy and memorable French Pot-au-Feu recipe made with turkey necks.
Traditional French Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Make this rich, creamy pumpkin soup from an easy Seventeenth Century Heirloom Recipe.
Lehman’s Discount Code
In today’s recipe video, I show you some of the products that I use from Lehman’s. They sell wonderful items to help us live a simpler life, especially with products made in the USA. If you haven’t tried Lehman’s before, I encourage you to browse their catalog for a Christmas gift for yourself, your family, and your friends.
Best of all, they’ve offered my sweet friends a special 15% off orders with this link and promo code NEST15! (Note: This was not a sponsored video. I bought all the items myself, and I like shopping at Lehman’s for my products and supplies.)
- Lehman’s for grain mills, pressure canners, and more! (Use this link and promo code NEST15 for 15% off orders at Lehman’s.)
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
And if you’re looking for a printed book full of my traditional foods recipes that shows you how to create a traditional foods kitchen, be sure to order your copy of my new bestselling book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.
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Kitchen Academy Videos
Baking with Ancient Grains in the Traditional Foods Kitchen
Bake with Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt—nutritious ancient grains that bring rich flavor and tradition to your favorite recipes.
Discussing the Secrets to Perfect Green Herbal Oils
Let’s talk about the popularity of flavored herbal oils.
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Northern Italian Spinach Ricotta Pie Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9" x 13" Baking Dish
Ingredients
For Pie Crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk and white divided
- 1 tbsp vinegar apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup salted butter, cut into cubes and frozen If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt
- 4-5 tbsp ice water
For Pie Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 ten-ounce boxes of frozen spinach defrosted and water squeezed out from it
- 1 1/2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 3 cups Ricotta
- 5 eggs
Instructions
To Make Pie
- Sauté the onions in the butter and add the salt and black pepper.
- Add the spinach and sauté, allowing the spinach to absorb all the butter.
- Transfer the spinach mixture to a bowl and mix in the Parmigiano Reggiano, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Set aside.
- Make the pie crust and then refrigerate it. (See instructions below.)
- Now that the spinach mixture has cooled, add the Ricotta and eggs and mix well.
- Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and roll it out to fit a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Place the pie crust into the baking dish and press it down and up the sides to fit the dish. (See video.)
- Pour the spinach mixture into the pie crust, smooth out the top, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Bake in a 370°F (188°C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes until the crust and the top of the pie are golden.
- Ricotta Spinach Pie is best eaten the day it is made.
To Make Pie Crust
- Place the flour into a bowl and add the frozen butter cubes.
- Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles a crumbly mixture. (See video.)
- You can also do this using a food processor with a few quick pulses after each addition.
- Add the egg and the vinegar to the flour mixture and mix gently until incorporated.
- Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. (See video.)
- Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, using the plastic wrap to shape the dough into a disk. Refrigerate.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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