Spinach & Ricotta Tart

It used to be so easy to bake a savory tart with gluten, especially since supermarkets started selling ready-to-bake dough. It’s not exactly the same with gluten-free options, right?

Thanks to Slow Food Editore, last year I discovered a little recipe book called “A Tavola Senza Glutine”. Their tart recipe suggested to use chickpeas flour, and oil instead of butter in the dough: genius! I love it first of all because the result is guaranteed, easier and faster to prepare than “crostata”.  Besides, it’s a vegan alternative to the usual shortcrust pastry or pâte brisée, and chickpeas give that extra flavour, an interesting personality to the mix. You can use it with all your favorite fillings!

Ingredients (makes 6 portions)
For the dough:

• 160 gr millet flour
• 70 gr corn flour
• 20 gr chickpeas flour
• 5 gr xanthan gum
• 4 gr salt
• 20 gr oil (olive or seeds)
• 100 gr water (add 20 extra gr if needed)

For the filling:

• 500 gr spinach
• 250 gr ricotta cheese
• 2 spoons parmesan cheese
• Pepper, salt, nutmeg as needed

1. Prepare the dough. Mix all the dry ingredients, then add the oil and water and work with your hands to mix well. Form a ball, wrap with cling film and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Cook the spinach in a big pan for only 2-3 minutes. They have to be soft but not completely cooked. Use a colander to remove the water from the spinach.
3. Mix the spinach with the ricotta cheese, parmesan and the spices. Set aside.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge, place it between 2 sheets of baking paper and shape it into a circle with the help of a rolling pin. Transfer the circle into a greased tin and spread the filling onto the dough.
5. Brush the top of the dough with a little bit of oil and bake in preheated the oven for 40 minutes at 180 °C. 

TIPS: You can adjust the filling to make it vegan (use a different kind of cheese) or more yummy. In that case you can add a shredded mozzarella, or gruyère cheese, to the spinach and ricotta mix. It’s so tasty that you are not going to have any leftovers! but just in case, you  can still preserve it until the day after for a special lunch box!

Have you tried it? Do you have any suggestions? Leave your comment