Broccoli & cheese pie

Serves 6-8

1 head of broccoli, florets chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon

3 tablespoons chopped chives

½ cup (50 g) finely grated parmesan

445 g (15½  oz) good-quality shortcrust pastry

4 cups (120 g) loosely packed basil leaves

250 g (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed

1 cup (25 g) oregano leaves

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh ricotta, crumbled

5 eggs, lightly beaten (reserve 1 teaspoon for the egg wash)

sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).

Sauté the broccoli and onion in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Grate the zest of the lemon over the broccoli mix as it cools.

Fold and knead the chives and parmesan into the pastry, bring together into a ball then wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest.

Blitz the basil, spinach and oregano until fine in a food processor.

Combine the ricotta and beaten egg (except the teaspoon you’ve remembered to keep back) in a

large bowl and fold through the blitzed basil mixture. Season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Roll out the pastry to a 40 cm (16 inch) round about 5 mm ( inch) thick and place on a pizza tray.

Place the broccoli mixture in the middle and top with the herby ricotta, leaving a 7 cm (2¾ inch) pastry band around the edge.

Fold the pastry up and over the filling as much as you can, pinching and pleating it to seal.

Whisk together the reserved egg and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.

Brush the egg wash over the pastry. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centre is springy to touch.

Serve warm or cold.

 

Images and text from Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed; photography by Lucy Tweed. Murdoch Books RRP $35.00