Broccoli Pie
A free-form pie of lemony broccoli and herb-packed ricotta wrapped in cheesy chive pastry - warm or cold, it disappears.
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 head of broccoli, florets chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 cup (50g) finely grated parmesan
445g good-quality shortcrust pastry
4 cups (120g) loosely packed basil leaves
250g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
For the herby ricotta
1 cup (25g) oregano leaves
500g fresh ricotta, crumbled
4 eggs, lightly beaten (reserve 1 teaspoon for the egg wash)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Saute the broccoli and onion in the olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Grate the lemon zest over the broccoli mix as it cools.
In a mixing bowl, fold and knead the chopped chives and parmesan into the pastry until well combined. Bring the pastry together into a ball.
Wrap the pastry ball in plastic wrap and set aside to rest.
In a food processor, blitz the basil, spinach and oregano until fine.
Combine the crumbled ricotta and beaten eggs (except the reserved teaspoon) in a large bowl. Fold in the blitzed basil mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Roll out the pastry to a 40cm round about 5mm thick and place on a pizza tray.
Place the broccoli mixture in the middle of the pastry and top with the herby ricotta, leaving a 7cm pastry band around the edge.
Fold the pastry up and over the filling as much as possible, pinching and pleating it to seal.
Whisk together the reserved egg and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush over the pastry.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centre is springy to touch.
Serve warm or cold.
HINTS
For extra flavour, try adding extra parmesan and lemon zest.
Ensure the pastry is sealed tightly to prevent leakage during baking.
Serve with a side salad for a complete meal.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6-8 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 17250kJ (4120 calories)
Protein: 110g
Fat: 255g
Saturated fat: 115g
Carbohydrates: 240g
Sugars: 15g
Fibre: 18g
Sodium: 2400mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.