Description
This Spinach Tart combines fresh, green spinach with the sweetness of peas, salty feta and crunchy pine nuts. It is perfect for a vegetarian light lunch or supper.
Ingredients
Scale
For the pastry:
- 275 g plain flour
- 125 g fat (I use a mix of half butter and half Trex as I think this makes the lightest pastry)
- Salt
- A little water
For the filling:
- 1 onion
- 300 g fresh spinach
- 100 g frozen peas (defrosted)
- 125 g ricotta
- 100 ml double cream
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- Grated nutmeg to taste
- Salt and Pepper
- 50 g feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
Instructions
- Set your oven to 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4.
- Make the pastry. Put the flour in a bowl. Add the fat and combine – either by “rubbing in” by hand or processing – until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little cold water (2-3 tbsp) and shape the mixture into a dough.
- Roll out your pastry and use it to line your quiche or flan dish. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven to allow the pastry to “set”. This will stop the filling making it soggy.
- Peel and chop the onion. Heat the butter and oil in your frying pan. It helps if the pan is good quality with a thick bottom as this will disseminate the heat evenly and prevent burning. Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook at a very low heat for about 10 minutes until soft.
- Place the spinach in a saucepan with a little water and cook gently, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Remove the spinach leaves from the pan and, as soon as they are cool enough, squeeze to remove excess moisture and then roughly chop them.
- Put the softened onion, chopped spinach and defrosted peas into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the ricotta, cream and eggs. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg.
- Spread the mixture in the pastry case.
- Crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle on top of the mixture.
- Place your quiche or flan dish in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. After it has been cooking for 15 minutes, sprinkle the pine nuts on top and return it to the oven.
Keywords: spinach, tart, quiche, feta, pine nuts, peas, vegetarian