Very often I get into these food obsession, where I practically find any or every way to consume a specific food into my daily diet.. My last food obsession was coconut, I tried about every coconut flavored food out there from coconut cake, macaroons, ice cream and gelato. I’m pretty sure I could have carry this obsession through the end of the year, but I eventually had to give it a break. So in come my latest food obsession : Spinach ! I’ve always liked spinach but lately I catch myself eating it in every meal from my green smoothies, sandwiches to lasagna. Spinach is high in vitamins and mineral so I always feel like I’m doing something good for my body every time i eat it. Except of course when I eat it drenched in cheese (like this recipe for instance). Either way, raw, boiled, cooked, baked I love spinach! So why not make a pie out of it?
I really wanted to make this pie easy as possible , because I hate recipes that have a million and one ingredients. Its just not realistic for me or my fridge. So I decided to cut corners and bought a frozen pie crust to make my life easier along with frozen spinach and shredded cheese. The ingredients I used were really simple and basic,the prep was barely 15 minutes and didn’t require any cooking. I’ve seen recipes where onions and such are cooked prior to baking but my logic is why cook something over the stove if its going to be baking for a long period of time. If you’re like me and really hate dicing up onions and peppers but want it in your pie, buy a frozen seasoning mix that come with diced onions and bell pepper and throw that in with the spinach. I also seen recipes where egg is added to give you that picture perfect slice of pie ,but I hate eggs and I was afraid that the pie would end up tasting like a spinach omelette. So I scrapped the eggs and prayed for the best. Nonetheless the pie came out great! Check out the recipe below:
Rustic Spinach Pie
- 2 bags of frozen spinach
- 1 container of ricotta cheese
- 1 bag of shredded six cheese
- 2 9″ inch pie crusts (frozen or homemade)
- red pepper flakes(optional)
- 1/2 cup of water (can be substituted with milk)
- 1/2 stick of melted butter (optional)
In a large bowl mix the ricotta and shredded cheese with half a cup of water. Stir until the cheese become liquify enough to mix in the spinach, add more water to your liking. Gradually mix the spinach in along with some pepper flakes until everything is coated with the cheese mixture. Butter your pan and place the pie crust in your pie pan. Fill the pie crust with your spinach filling and spread it evenly through the pan. Sprinkle additional red pepper flakes and shredded cheese on top to your liking. Take the second pie crust and slice them thin and decorate the pie. Take the melted butter and brush the top of the pie crust, drizzle the rest over the pie(optional). Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.
P.S. : Warm marinara or an herb tomato sauce drizzled on top of the pie when plating or on the side, takes this pie to a whole other level especially for the non-spinach lovers . Happy Baking!
