Swiss Chard and Vegetable Crostata Recipe

45 mins
360 mins

Ingredients

Crostata Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, very cold
4 tablespoons water, very cold
Chard:
3 pounds Swiss chard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups leeks, white and light green only, chopped
2 cups scallions , chopped
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped
salt freshly ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk, beaten with a few drops of water

Preparation

Step 1

Make the crostata dough.

Put the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to mix the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, drop them onto the flour, and pulse the machine 10 or 12 times, in short bursts, 20 seconds in all. The mixture should be crumbly with only a few larger bits of butter visible.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water on top of the dough-immediately pulse about 6 times, only a second or two each time. You want the crumbs to gather together in wet clusters, a bit like cottage cheese curds-don't expect a mass of dough to form. If they haven't gathered, sprinkle on more water, a teaspoon at a time, and pulse 2 or 3 times after each.

When the clusters form, scrape them all out of the bowl, press them together and knead just for a few seconds to form smooth, tight dough. Flatten it into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to a day before using. Freeze the dough for longer keeping.

To prepare the chard:

Trim the ends from the stems. Cut off and discard any wilted or yellow parts of the leaves. Strip the stems from the leaves, and cut the stems into ½ inch lengths. Cut the leaves in half lengthwise, then crosswise into ½ inch strips. Wash the leaf and stem pieces thoroughly, then drain them well.

Bring the salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the Swiss chard stems. After another 10 minutes add the leaves, then cook all until the vegetables are very tender, an additional 5 minutes. Drain in a colander.

In a large, heavy casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until they are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the chard, scallions and marjoram and season lightly with salt and pepper. Adjust the level of heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly and cool the mixture to room temperature.

Combine the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and cream in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix at low speed until blended. Add the cooled vegetables and mix thoroughly at low speed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Beat in the eggs. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly butter an 18 x 12-inch baking pan with sides about 1/2-inch high. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 22 x 16-inch rectangle. Flour the surface as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Fold the dough into quarters, center it over the prepared pan and unfold it. The dough should overlap all the sides by about 2 inches.

Pour the chard mixture into the dough-lined pan and smooth into an even layer. Fold the overhanging dough over the filling to form a two inch border on all sides. Brush the dough lightly with the egg yolk or olive oil. Bake until the filling is firm in the center and lightly browned and the crust is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Cool the crostata about 30 minutes, cut into squares and serve warm. -