LUCINDA'S SPINACH AND HAM PIE

Lucinda's Spinach and Ham Pie image

Every Easter, Martha Stewart Living TV food editor Lucinda Scala Quinn prepares a savory Italian pie filled with spinach and ham. To ensure a thin, flaky crust, Linda notes that it is essential to wring out the cooked spinach in cheesecloth before adding it to the rest of the filling.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ten-ounce bags spinach, stemmed and well washed, but not dried
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large eggs
1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 ounces boiled ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (optional)

Steps:

Make the pastry: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter and cream cheese. Process until combined. Add cream, and pulse to combine. Add the flour and salt, and pulse just until a ball forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times. Divide dough in half, pat each half into a disc, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the filling: Place the spinach in a very large pot over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, until spinach wilts, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from pot, and set aside to cool. Squeeze dry, wringing out the cooked spinach in cheesecloth (there should be 2 cups), and coarsely chop.
Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add oil and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent but not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat to cool briefly.
In a large bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. Add ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper; mix to combine. Stir in the spinach and onions. Add ham; stir to combine.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to a 13-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch glass pie plate, allowing the excess dough to hang over the edge of the plate. Trim edges to 1/2 inch. Spread spinach mixture evenly into pie plate. On a lightly floured surface, roll out second disc of dough to a 13-inch circle. Transfer to top of the pie. Trim top crust to overlap the bottom by 1/4 inch. Fold top crust over bottom, and crimp edges together with your fingers. Cut a few small vents. Beat the remaining egg with a few drops of water, and brush over surface of pie. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.