Layered Pepper, Spinach & Ricotta Pie

Layered Pepper, Spinach

& Ricotta Pie

This pie is sure to fascinate and satisfy all tastebuds with layer upon layer of succulent peppers, spinach, creamy ricotta and crispy puff pastry. Simple, wholesome ingredients, straight forward process and a result that will be remembered!

Ingredients

For the breadcrumb layer:

2 slices wholemeal bread

2tbsp salted butter

For the pepper layer:

350g roasted red peppers from a jar, drained

For the spinach layer:

50g salted butter

1kg fresh spinach, washed*

6 shallots, peeled & thinly sliced 

1 leek, peeled & thinly sliced

A pinch of sugar

3 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed

1tbsp vegetable bouillon powder

Some freshly grated nutmeg

100ml cream

1 organic free range egg

For the ricotta layer:

500g ricotta cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Some freshly grated nutmeg

1 organic free range egg

3 sheets of store bought puff pastry**

Some beaten egg & sesame seeds for glazing

Method

For the breadcrumb layer, process the bread in a food processor till you have a coarse breadcrumb consistency. In a small frying pan, melt the butter and sauté the crumbs for a few minutes until golden. Set aside.

For the spinach layer, start by wilting the spinach. In the largest frying pan you have, sauté the spinach in batches, adding a tiny knob of butter with each batch. Do not over cook, but rather just wilt. Place the wilted batches in a large sieve over a bowl. Once slightly cooled, using your hands, squeeze as much water as possible out of the spinach. Set aside.

In the same large frying pan you used for the spinach, add the remaining butter. Sauté the shallots and leeks over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the pinch of sugar, vegetable bouillon powder and nutmeg and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Add the garlic. Mix in the squeezed spinach. Remove from the heat. Beat the egg and cream together in a small jug and pour over the spinach. Mix well with a spatula. Set aside.

For the ricotta layer, place the ricotta in a medium bowl and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Break in the egg and stir well until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Using a little butter, grease a round 20cm x 8cm springform tin*** and line the base with baking paper. 

Lay the the two sheets of puff pastry in a crossed fashion, so as to cover the entirety of the tin. Trim any overhanging bits, leaving about 2cm excess.

Scatter the breadcrumbs all over the base and spread them evenly, while gently pressing them in place.

Slice the peppers in large flat pieces and lay them slightly overlapping over the breadcrumbs till they cover the whole area. 

Spoon the spinach mixture over the peppers and smooth it evenly.

Now spoon the ricotta mixture over the spinach, again making sure to spread it evenly across the whole surface.

Finally, add the top sheet of pastry. Trim it around the rim and press the two sheets so as to seal them together. Turn any overlap inwards and press it all around. Create a few slits with a knife for air flow.

Glaze with some egg and sprinkle sesame seeds all over the pie.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Keep an eye on it and if the pie is browning too soon, loosely cover it with a piece of foil. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*You can also use 600g frozen spinach if you like. Simply thaw and squeeze out any water. It will be wilted already, so proceed with the recipe. (The amount of spinach needed after it has been squeezed is 450g, but this is an approximate number).

**We have used two sheets of puff pastry for the base and sides here, for a thicker crust, but you could get away with one for the base and one on top.

***Your tin needs to be this deep to accommodate for the generous filling.