Spinach and Ricotta Quiche

Spinach and Ricotta Quiche, an Antipodean variation of the Greek dish Spanakopita, is a true cafe classic here in Australia, and for very good reason. It is rich and filling while remaining light, vegetarian-friendly, and suitable for lunch or a lighter dinner.

A quiche like this is a great recipe to have in your collection. Once you grasp the basic elements, you can swap out ingredients depending on your tastes and what you have in the store cupboard or fridge.

People tend to avoid using filo pastry at home, mistakenly thinking it is overly fiddly or complicated. Funnily enough, it is one of the most forgiving pastries to work with, and the many folded layers always look spectacular and taste crunchily fantastic.

Filo is now available in most decently stocked supermarkets, as well as Greek or Turkish grocers. In Turkish shops, it’s called Yufka pastry. It keeps well in the fridge as long as it is well sealed and is really useful for all sorts of meals.

I find it easiest to work with fresh filo, but if frozen is all you can get, you can defrost it fully in the fridge before using it, then continue with the recipe as stated.

Just a quick note, this recipe may look a bit involved, but it’s really very simple – I know this will be the first time using filo for many of you so I’m hand-holding a bit – you’ll be an expert in no time, I promise.

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SPINACH AND RICOTTA QUICHE Recipe

Spinach and Ricotta Quiche

Jay Wadams

Spinach and Ricotta Quiche, an Antipodean variation of the Greek Spanakopita is a cafe classic in Australia. It is rich and filling, light and vegetarian friendly.

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5 from 3 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Additional Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 33 minutes mins

Serves 6

Ingredients

 

MetricU.S. Customary

for the filling:

• ▢ 200 g baby spinach leaves
• ▢ 4 spring onions
• ▢ 4 sprigs of fresh dill
• ▢ 400 g ricotta cheese
• ▢ 200 g sour cream
• ▢ 100 g feta cheese
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ ½ tsp nutmeg
• ▢ ½-1 tsp sea salt
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper

to assemble:

• ▢ 6 sheets filo pastry
• ▢ 50 g butter
• ▢ 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• PREPARE: Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease the sides and line the base of a 24cm round springform cake tin with baking paper and set aside. Remove the filo from the fridge and allow to warm on the benchtop (still in the package) while you prepare the filling.
• BLANCH SPINACH: Rinse the spinach leaves and place in a large heatproof bowl. Boil a full kettle of water, then pour the hot water over the leaves. Stir and allow to sit for one minute, then drain and cool under running water.
• CHOP SPINACH: When the leaves are cool enough to handle, use your hands to tightly squeeze all of the liquid out – you’ll end up with a small, bright green lump of tightly packed spinach. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the spinach finely.
• COMBINE FILLING: Finely slice the spring onions and the dill, then put the spinach, spring onions, and dill into a large mixing bowl (the one you used before, dried, will be fine) with the ricotta, sour cream and the crumbled feta. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then add to the larger bowl, using a wooden spoon to mix until well combined.
• PREPARE FILO: In a small saucepan, melt together the butter and olive oil, then turn off the heat and set aside. Remove 6 large sheets of filo from the packet, sealing the packet carefully and returning any remainder to the fridge.
• LAYER FILO: Lay the pile of filo flat on a work surface, drizzle the top sheet with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, then brush it evenly over the whole layer – it doesn’t have to be perfect and I often just use my hands to gently spread the butter across. Carefully lift the sheet into the prepared tin, lifting it so that it is sitting flush into the corners – try not to push and tear the filo but don’t panic if it has a little rip. Leave the edges of the filo overhanging the sides of the tin.
• FILL QUICHE: Repeat with the remaining 5 sheets, buttering each in turn, and rotating the tin a little clockwise as you lay each sheet in to make sure the rectangular sheets evenly cover the edges of the round tin. When all of the filo has been layered into the tin, give the spinach and ricotta mixture a stir, then pour it carefully on top. Bring the edges of the filo into the sides of the tin, scrunching them up to make a border (see photos).
• BAKE: Drizzle the scrunched filo with any remaining butter, sprinkle over the sesame seeds, then bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until the filling is puffed and golden, and the filo is a lovely light brown. Ovens do vary, so compare how it looks to the cooked picture below – if you give the pan a little shake it should have a slight jiggle, but not be at all sloppy.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes before carefully loosening the springform.

Notes

The quiche can be eaten hot straight away but will be much easier to slice and serve if you allow it to cool for another 15 minutes or so. As this is a Greek-inspired dish, serve with a nice, crunchy Greek salad. If you have any leftovers, this is lovely reheated in a low oven, covered gently with some tin foil.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 864mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4147IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 320mg | Iron: 3mg

Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.

Course | Light Bites

Cuisine | Australian

Ⓒ | Jay Wadams