By now you’ve learned to know me and understand that the recipes I propose to you are the same ones I bring to my table, like this potato, ricotta, and spinach casserole, the result of a recent experiment of mine! It’s a light reinterpretation of the classic casserole, with the peculiarity of adding the potatoes instead of being mashed and pureed, sliced thinly and added raw! I love giving my dishes different textures for a final result that is truly appetizing and satisfying! Moreover, making this casserole is really easy and quite quick since you skip the boiling step of the potatoes, and once in the oven, it can be served either as a main dish or vegetarian-style second course, as well as a delicious appetizer and, why not, as tasty finger food cut into squares. In any case, it’s so tasty and delicate that it will bring everyone together and even children, who usually hate vegetables, will like it!
If you love these vegetarian-style dishes that can enrich your buffet on special occasions with their versatility, also try these all-to-taste ideas:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 2 potatoes (medium)
- 18 oz baby spinach (already cleaned)
- 12 oz ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1.76 oz oz grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs (+ as needed)
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 knob butter
- as needed salt
- as needed pepper
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Lid
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Baking dish
Steps
Rinse the baby spinach thoroughly under running water.
In a large pan, brown the garlic with two tablespoons of oil.
Add the baby spinach*, scald on low heat with a lid for about 5′ or until wilted. Adjust with salt and pepper, turn off and place them in a sieve to drain.
Meanwhile, prepare the ricotta cream: in a large bowl, work the ricotta previously placed in a sieve to lose its whey, with the whole egg, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and pepper and mix with a spoon.
You should obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.
Chop the spinach with a knife and put 1/4 in the ricotta cream and mix again.
Wash and peel the potatoes, then slice them thinly to a 3 mm thickness.
Place a first layer on a previously buttered and breadcrumbed baking dish, without overlapping too much.
Cover with half of the ricotta cream and spread evenly with a spoon.
Add half of the spinach
Then sprinkle with half of the grated Parmesan. Repeat the operation, creating a second layer with the remaining ingredients and cover the surface with breadcrumbs. Put in a preheated oven at 375°F for 30′ or until a golden crust forms on the surface.
Remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
And voila…the potato, ricotta, and spinach casserole is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉The potato, ricotta, and spinach casserole can be stored in the fridge in suitable refrigeration containers, preferably glass, for a maximum of 2-3 days.
Advice, notes, variations and suggestions
🟣* As an alternative to fresh spinach, you can use frozen ones, cooking them directly in the pan without thawing first, with two tablespoons of oil, then slightly salting once wilted.
🟣The choice of ricotta: I used sheep’s ricotta, but goat’s ricotta will also be fine, or if you prefer, cow’s milk ricotta.
🟣For a non-vegetarian version, you can enrich the filling if you like, adding chopped cooked ham to the ricotta cream, or distribute it in slices directly between the first and second layer.
