Torta di Ricotta/Ricotta Pie - variations on a theme

I could swear I posted a recipe for spinach ricotta pie and then a post about doubling it except for the number of crusts - but I can't find that.

What I like about ricotta pie, given it has enough flavour, is that I can cut it into wedges, freeze them, and have breakfast or lunch for, say, twelve or sixteen days, given I use two crusts and pie plates. Oh, and it tastes good microwaved.

I do find a post of Msolga's, which I'll link here.
Here - http://able2know.org/topic/125735-2#post-3479577


quoting Msolga,

Here's my never fail stand-by. Very good when all the ingredients are fresh. Also very, very easy to make! "

SPINACH RICOTTA PIE:

* 2 x 250 g (5 oz) packets of frozen spinach
* 1 kg (2 lb) fresh ricotta cheese
* 5 free range eggs
* 2 tablespoons fresh dill (I substitute with fresh parsley when there's no dill available. Works fine.)
* sea salt & cracked black pepper
* 250 g (8 0z) cherry tomatoes
* 150 g (5 oz) fetta cheese, roughly crumbled

- Preheat oven to 160C (320F).
- Defrost the spinach in the microwave, or in a saucepan over mediun heat. Then squeeze out all the liquid.
- Place the spinach in a bowl with the ricotta, eggs, dill (or parsley), salt & pepper & combine.
- Spoon the mixture into a 12 cups (4 1/4 pint) capacity ovenproof baking dish.
- Top with cherry tomatoes, cut side up, & sprinkle with the fetta.
- Bake for one hour, or until the pie is set & slightly golden.
- Serve warm or cold (with a simple salad.)



I originally used an Epicurious recipe, riffing a bit on it, then pretty much doubled it but switched to swiss chard, and now I'm all over the place with kale, chard, parsley, olives, anchovies and on and on. Pie with refrigerator dependence...



The Epicurious recipe, here -
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ricotta-Spinach-Pie-1548

ingredients
1 refrigerated pie crust (half of 15-ounce package), room temperature
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
8 ounce mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 large eggs, beaten to blend

preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Unfold pie crust. Press out fold lines; if crust cracks, wet fingers and push edges together to seal. Sprinkle flour over crust. Place crust floured side down in 9-inch-diameter glass or ceramic pie dish. Fold edge under and crimp decoratively.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Sauté until all liquid from spinach evaporates, about 3 minutes.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in large bowl. Mix in eggs. Add spinach mixture; blend well.

Spoon cheese mixture into pie crust. Bake until filling is set in center and brown on top, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut pie into wedges.



First time I tasted torta di ricotta was in Venice, Italy, and it was a mistake, because we were too full afterwards to want to go out to dinner. And, I remember thinking it was very bland.

But, sentimentalist that I am, and as I often make a spinach and butter and ricotta thing with farfalle, doused in lemon - I thought I'd play.


Recipe for today's two pies in next post.

Msolga's recipe looks good. So do some of the rustico recipes on italian online sites, involving translation (often with good pictures, sometimes using phyllo dough). I figure that as long as there is room in the pie plate, there is room for varied ingredients. (There is a sweet version, with raisins, etc.)

I'm still a lazybody and use packaged dough. I know it would all be better with fresh homemade. On the ricotta, I use whole milk. On the fat, I have used 1/2 olive oil and butter, and, today, all butter. Next time, all olive oil.


Variations welcome!