Spinach Ricotta Pie
Makes one 9” pie, three hours to prepare, assemble and bake
The Crust
Cut together 1 cup of flour and 1/3 cup cold butter. Use a pastry cutter or two forks. If butter is unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
When mixture is uniformly blended, and about 3 tablespoons of cold buttermilk (water will work in a pinch) or enough so that the mixture holds together enough to form a ball.
Chill dough at least one hour.
The Filling
1 pound ricotta cheese
3 beaten eggs
½ pound chopped spinach
1 small onion, diced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon butter
Black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup of grated sharp cheese
Dash nutmeg
Saute onion, spinach, salt, basil in butter until spinach is cooked down. Remove any liquid before placing into a large bowl, mix in remaining filling ingredients.
Assemble
Roll crust onto floured surface to fit 9” pie plate. Pour mixture from large bowl into the unbaked pie shell. Spread evenly.
Optional: Top with 1 cup sour cream spread to edges of crest, add paprika to taste.
Bake 375 for 40-45 minutes