The rustic spinach tart is a soft, colorful savory cake, perfect to bring a touch of spring to the table. The batter, made with baking powder and without puff pastry, is enriched with pureed spinach, which gives a beautiful bright green color and a moist, tender texture.
Inside you’ll find small cubes of cooked ham and gooey scamorza cheese, which make it even more tasty and irresistible. It’s a quick recipe to make, ideal for Easter lunch or an Easter Monday picnic, maybe served with cured meats, cheeses and boiled eggs. Make it yourself and serve a simple but eye-catching savory tart, perfect for sharing!
Here are some other ideas for you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Cooking time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 282.90 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.15 (g) of which sugars 1.61 (g)
- Proteins 11.39 (g)
- Fat 14.99 (g) of which saturated 2.54 (g)of which unsaturated 8.53 (g)
- Fibers 1.03 (g)
- Sodium 214.58 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs (large)
- 3 oz cooked spinach (drained)
- 5 fl oz milk
- 1/3 cup neutral-flavored oil (such as seed oil)
- 1 packet baking powder (for savory preparations)
- 1/3 cup ricotta salata (or grated Parmesan or Pecorino)
- 3 1/2 oz cooked ham
- 3 oz scamorza cheese
- salt
- pepper
- black sesame seeds (to taste)
Tools
- Cake pan 9.5 in
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Immersion blender
Preparation
After cooking them in a pan or steaming (1), squeeze the spinach and weigh the required 3 oz. Put them in the blender cup and puree them together with the oil and the milk until you obtain a smooth, fine purée.
Break the eggs into a bowl, add 2-3 pinches of salt, a grind of pepper and whisk with a whisk.
Add the spinach purée and mix. Then add the sifted flour, the baking powder and the grated ricotta salata.
Finally, add the cooked ham and the scamorza, cut into small cubes (2). Stir with a spoon to distribute them evenly.
Butter and flour the pan (or line it with parchment paper), pour in the batter and level it. Sprinkle optionally with sesame seeds or poppy seeds (3).
Place the tart in a static oven at 356°F and bake for about 35 minutes. As always, check with a toothpick that the center comes out dry.
When done, remove from the oven and let it warm slightly or cool before slicing.
The rustic spinach tart is ready, you can serve it with cured meats, cheeses, vegetables or boiled eggs.
Tips and notes
You can replace ricotta salata with grated Parmesan or Pecorino.
You can replace the milk with a plant-based drink of your choice.
Besides cooked ham, you can use any cured meats you like, such as salami, mortadella or speck, always cut into very small cubes.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I prepare the tart in advance?
Of course, you can prepare it the day before and store it in a cool place or in the refrigerator. Then you can reheat it in the oven and serve it warm or at room temperature.
If I have fresh spinach, how much should I weigh?
To obtain the required 3 oz, you will need about 6.5–7 oz of cleaned fresh spinach (about 180–200 g) before cooking. Simply steam or sauté them, then cool and squeeze them well to remove excess water.
