Spinach Cheese Tart

This Italian tart made with ricotta cheese and chopped cooked spinach is a welcome site to the eye.  Served hot with a mixed vegetable salad it provides either a lunch or dinner with minimum time and expense.








Ingredients:

For the crust:

Have ready a 25 cm/10 inch flan pan.  Preheated 200C/400F oven.

250g/8 oz plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
125g/4 oz unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
4-5 tablespoons cold water

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Work in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until it is thoroughly and evenly distributed.  Mix in the egg yolk.  With a fork, mix in the cold water to make a soft dough.  Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Roll dough out and line the flan pan.  Prick the pastry with a fork.  Line it with baking paper; fill with ceramic beans (or dried) and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and fill with filling given below.

Ingredients for filling:

1 250g/8 oz bag of fresh baby spinach leaves
375g/12 oz ricotta cheese
4 eggs
sprinkling of grate nutmeg
75 ml/3 oz single cream
Salt and ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the spinach in the microwave according to directions on the bag.  Cool, then roughly chop.  Mix all the filling ingredients except the Parmesan in a bowl.  Pour into the pastry.  Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 180C/350F for about 30-40 minutes or until risen and golden brown.