Zucchini Ricotta Pie

[kirra]

Zucchini Ricotta Pie

Sauteed zucchini with ricotta cheese, baked into a savory pastry shell.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. small, firm zucchini, shredded on the largest grating blade of a food processor
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 batch Olive Oil dough for a double crust pie (recipe follows)
3 tbs. olive oil
1 medium white onion, halved, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
12 oz. whole milk ricotta
4 large eggs
1 tbs. chopped fresh marjoram, oregano or flat leaf parsley
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Special Equipment: One 10 or 11 inch tart pan with removable bottom

Preparation:

In a bowl, toss the zucchini with the salt and scrape it into a colander. Set the colander over the bowl and let the zucchini drain for 1 to 2 hours. Rinse the zucchini, then firmly squeeze out any excess water, a handful at a time.

While the zucchini is draining, roll out one half the dough and line the tart pan. Roll the remaining dough into a disk about an inch larger that your tart pan. Slide it onto a floured baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it aside while preparing the filling.

After the zucchini is squeezed dry and you are ready to start cooking the filling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the oil and onion in a wide sauté pan. Place over medium heat and cook until the onion starts to sizzle. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onion is translucent and wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir everything together. Increase the heat to high and cook until the oil starts to sizzle again. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is wilted and reduced in volume, about 20 minutes. Pour the mixture into a bowl and season it with salt and pepper.

Add the ricotta, eggs, marjoram, and cheese, stirring after each addition.

Scrape the filling into the prepared bottom crust and smooth the top. Slide the top crust onto the filling and sever the edge of the top crust, pressing it firmly into the edge of the bottom crust with a fingertip protected by a folded towel. Use the point of a knife to cut several vent holes in the top crust.

Bake the pie until the crust is s deep golden color and the filling is set, about 30 minutes. Cool the pie on a rack.



Olive Oil Dough

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

Preparation:

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times.

Add the oil, eggs, and egg yolks. Pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a shaggy ball. Don’t over mix of the oil might separate from the dough and make it impossible to handle later on.

Invert the food processor bowl over a floured surface to turn out the dough. Carefully remove the blade and transfer any dough on it to the work surface. Press the dough into two ½â€