Spinach Crostata has its origins in a dinnertime disaster from the distant past. When I was newly married, I was so happy to have someone to cook for I went a little overboard, making elaborate dinners every night after long days in the office. One weeknight I decided to try a recipe called Spinach Gateau, which sounded amazing in the cookbook description – a savory filling of spinach, mushrooms, ricotta and other cheeses, layered in a springform pan with homemade crepes.
Thawing and draining the spinach, assembling the filling and making the crepe batter took a little while, and then I started to make crepes. Five layers of four crepes each equals twenty. Two minutes per crepe (once I got the hang of it), and now more than an hour had passed and I hadn’t even assembled the dish yet, never mind the hour it would need in the oven. John sat on the couch, hangry and periodically offering a gentle suggestion that we order a pizza.
That was the night he lovingly told me it wasn’t necessary to make a gourmet feast every night. It was also the night I learned, once and for all, to read a recipe all the way through before starting – not only to make sure I had everything I needed, but also to add up the timing for each step.*
By the way, I have no actual memory of eating the Spinach Gateau; it’s possible I never even finished making it. All I remember is how foolish and frustrated I felt once I realized what a production it was and how far in over my head I was.
Years have passed, and the idea of a deep dish, spinach-stuffed, cheesy, warm and comforting pie-like thing has haunted me. From time to time I’ve thought about trying it again, but every time I pictured myself making all those crepes, I came to my senses.
I wondered if there were something I could substitute for the crepes. Perhaps pasta, but that seemed too much like lasagna. Then I remembered the thick, flaky, crispy, cheesy pastry dough I use for my Heirloom Tomato Pie, and an idea began to take shape: I would turn the gateau into a crostata.
A crostata is a rustic pie, usually made freeform on a baking sheet with the filling piled in the center and the edges of the pastry folded up to make an edge. Because the filling in this Spinach Crostata is so deep and generous, I assembled it in a springform pan. The pan keeps everything contained and forms the crust into beautiful, high, fluted sides. The center of the top is uncovered except for the cheesy lid that bronzes and bubbles in the oven.
Inside, the spinach is the star of the filling, mixed with just enough cheese (mozzarella, Parmesan, and a silky homemade ricotta) to bind it together and give it a smooth, creamy texture. Running through the deepest part of the center is a layer of mushrooms that adds meaty texture and flavor. Served with marinara sauce on the side for drizzling or dipping, the overall effect of this crostata is that of a sophisticated, veggie-heavy deep dish pizza.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- The crust needs at least 1 hour of chilling time before rolling out, and can be made further ahead. Make it the day before and keep it chilled overnight, or make it further ahead and freeze it, well wrapped, for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let it sit out at room temperature while you prepare the filling, so it’s not rock hard when you try to roll it out.
- The Spinach Crostata can be assembled up to a few hours ahead and held in the refrigerator. Wait until just before baking to brush the top with the egg wash.
- Reheat leftovers in the oven, not the microwave, to keep the crust flaky. Cut the crostata into wedges and arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet with plenty of room between them for air flow. Cover the sheet with another piece of foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and heat for 5 minutes more, until the crust is flaky and crisp and the centers are heated through.
To see this crostata as part of a dinner menu, complete with a game plan providing timing and sequencing for all steps, see the post for Saturday October 23, 2021.
*Why don’t the recipes on Saturdays with Frank indicate the overall time it takes to prepare the dish? See the FAQ on my About page for the answer.
Spinach Crostata
For the spinach, use a 14-ounce bag of frozen, chopped spinach, or 1½ 10-ounce boxes,
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (7 3/8 ounces or 210 grams)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, preferably European-style, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 4 or 5 tablespoons ice water
- For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 14 to 15 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 3 large eggs, divided
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated or ground Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Flour for the board
- Softened butter for greasing the pan
- Marinara sauce for serving
Directions
- Step 1 Make the crust. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar, Parmesan, and ½ teaspoon of salt if using Diamond Crystal, or ¼ teaspoon of Morton’s. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is broken down into pieces the size of pieces. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing two or three times for each tablespoon, until the dough just starts to come together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and gather it into a ball, then press it down to a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Step 2 Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
- Step 3 Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with a little more salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, and the moisture they’ve released has cooked away, about 8 minutes. Set the skillet aside and let the mixture cool to room temperature. If the crust has been chilling for more than an hour, take it out of the refrigerator now to let it come up in temperature while you prepare the rest of the filling. If it’s only been chilling for an hour, keep it in the fridge until needed.
- Step 4 While the mushrooms are cooking, drain the spinach. Put the spinach in a colander or sieve and take handfuls of the spinach, squeezing with your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible. Then, place a double layer of paper towels on your work surface, put the spinach on top, and place a double layer of paper towels on top. Push down on the spinach with your hands, letting the paper towels absorb more water. Repeat if needed until the spinach is very dry.
- Step 5 Whisk 2 of the eggs in a large bowl until blended. Add the ricotta cheese and whisk gently until the mixture is smooth. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, the basil, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt if using Diamond Crystal brand (or ½ teaspoon of Morton’s) and ½ teaspoon of pepper, and stir until smooth. Stir in 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Crumble in the dried spinach, breaking up any clumps. Stir until well blended.
- Step 6 In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg and the cream to make an egg wash.
- Step 7 Assemble the crostata. Lightly flour a pastry board and roll out the pastry, rolling out from the center and lifting and rotating the dough, adding flour sparingly as needed to keep the dough from sticking. As you work, pinch together any cracks that form around the edges so they don’t develop into deeper crags. Roll the dough out to a circle large enough that you can trim off the ragged edges to form a smooth-edged circle 14 inches in diameter. Carefully drape the dough into the prepared springform pan, smoothing it out across the bottom of the pan and gently pleating the dough that runs up the sides of the pan so it more or less lays against the sides of the pan. Don’t worry if it tries to flop into the center of the pan, as you add the filling the crust will move out of the way.
- Step 8 Use a pastry brush to brush the bottom of the crust with some of the egg wash. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust evenly with half of the remaining shredded mozzarella. Spoon half of the spinach filling into the crust and spread it out to an even layer, going all the way to the edges of the pan and gently nudging the crust against the side of the pan. Spread the mushroom and onion mixture evenly over the spinach filling. Top with the remaining spinach filling, spreading out evenly to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top of the filling, then the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Fold the edges of the crust in over the filling, folding it over itself as needed so it lies flat. Brush the crust with some more of the egg wash.
- Step 9 Transfer the pan to the foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden and the center of the crostata is puffed up and browned.
- Step 10 Remove the pan from the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut around the inside edge of the pan, gently separating the crust from the pan. Then release the springform and remove the ring. Use a sturdy spatula to slide under the crostata and remove it from the bottom of the pan and the parchment. Transfer the crostata to the cooling rack and cool it for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.
