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Torta di pasta frollo
Serves 6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter, chilled
- 250g plain flour
- 5tbsp ice-cold water
For the topping
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- leaves picked from a small bunch thyme, chopped
- 1kg fresh spinach
- 200g ricotta cheese, cut into pieces
- leaves from a small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 200ml crème fraîche
- 2 organic egg yolks
- 50g parmesan, freshly grated
- 100g parmesan cheese shavings
- 4 slices prosciutto di Parma, torn into pieces (optional)
Method
To make the pastry, put the butter and flour in a food processor and pulse to a breadcrumb consistency. Add the iced water and pulse until a dough is formed. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a baking sheet to rectangle about 5mm thick. Prick all over with a fork, then bake for 10 minutes until crisp.
Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on. Start making the topping while the pastry base is baking. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan, add the onions with the garlic and thyme, and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, blanch the spinach in a pan of boiling water until wilted. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze or press the spinach to remove excess water.
Chop the spinach. Spread the cooked onions evenly over the pastry. Top with the spinach, the ricotta and chopped parsley.
In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the egg yolks and grated parmesan and drizzle this mixture over the spinach and ricotta. Bake for about 15 minutes until the topping is a light golden colour.
Scatter the parmesan shavings over the pasta frollo and arrange the torn slices of prosciutto on top, if you like. Serve warm.
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