Rustic Spinach Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Alternatively, mix together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add butter, working the pieces into the flour with your hands, squeezing and pinching them until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
• Add egg, egg white and lemon zest, and pulse after each addition. If working by hand, whisk together egg, egg white and lemon zest in a separate bowl, then mix into the butter mixture. Slowly add iced wine, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse or mix by hand until the dough just comes together. You may not need all the liquid. The dough should be moist, but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather and press it into a ball. Divide into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other, and shape into disks. Wrap the disks tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make the filling: If your ricotta seems watery, put it in a sieve and let it drain while you cook the spinach.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and a large pinch of salt, and continue to cook until spinach is very dry, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. If any liquid accumulates as the spinach sits, pour it out of the bowl (you don't want it to water down the ricotta).
• In a food processor, purée drained ricotta and eggs until just combined and smooth. Add to the bowl with the spinach and fold in mozzarella, pecorino, ham (if using), parsley, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red-pepper flakes and nutmeg. Set aside when rolling out dough (or chill for up to 4 hours).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger pastry dough disk to a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the dough up the sides of the pan. Scrape filling into crust and spread evenly. Roll out second pastry disk to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut 1/2-inch-wide strips and weave into a lattice on top of the filling. Seal, trim and crimp the edges. Brush the top of the torta with the egg wash.
• Place torta on sheet pan and bake until crust is crisp and brown, and filling is firm, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine the olive oil and water in a measuring cup. Pulse the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. With the machine running, add the olive oil mixture and pulse until the dough clumps together, adding up to 1 more tablespoon water if needed. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; press into a disk and wrap. Let sit at room temperature while you make the filling.
• Make the filling: Wrap the squash in a kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the spinach and add to the squash; stir to break up any clumps. Add the ricotta, fontina, parmesan, half-and-half, scallions, parsley, 2 eggs, the nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper; mix until combined.
• Position a rack in the bottom of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Brush a quarter sheet pan or 9-by-13-inch straight-sided baking pan with olive oil. Cut off one-quarter of the dough; set aside. Roll out the remaining dough into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Trim the edges with a fluted cutter or a knife and ease into the pan. Spread the filling over the dough.
• Roll out the reserved dough into a 6-by-12-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Cut lengthwise into 10 strips with the fluted cutter; arrange in a lattice pattern over the filling, trimming as needed. Fold in the overhanging edges. Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt and brush on the crust. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is set, about 50 minutes. Let cool on a rack 30 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted and tender, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed; let cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the ricotta, 2 eggs, the thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fold the cooled vegetable mixture and the olives into the ricotta mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until it's 12 inches square. Using a 12-inch plate or just eyeballing it, cut the dough into a circle (knead the scraps into a ball and save for another use-cheddar straws, say). Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon the tart filling into the center, leaving a 2-inch border of pastry. Lift the pastry edges and fold over the filling, creasing the dough as needed and leaving the filling exposed in the middle. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush a thin layer of the egg wash on the exposed pastry, taking care not to let egg run down the sides to the pan.
• Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.