Swiss Chard and Ricotta Pie

By ruthg

The tart can be made with one vegetable or a mix of greens like chard, spinach, arugula and artichoke hearts. The original version was made with 33 layers of dough - to commemerate the 33 years of Jesus' life - but it's olive oil that gives the dough its "melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and great flavor," and this "streamlined" contemporary version loses none of that. Serve it with roasted vegetables in an herb dressing and you have a full meal.

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• .
• For the filling:
• 1 lb. Swiss chard, stemmed
• Salt
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 15 oz whole-milk ricotta
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram or 1/2 tsp dried
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation

Step 1

For a crust that's easier to handle, place oil in a small container and chill it in a freezer for 30 to 60 minutes until it's slushy. In a food processor or standing mixer, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add oil and 2 Tbsp cold water and pulse to blend, adding cold water 1 Tbsp at a time as needed (up to about 1/4 cup) to make a smooth, soft dough. Remove dough from machine and divide into 2 pieces, one twice as large as the other. Shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook Swiss chard with 2 tsp of salt until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool under cold running water. Squeeze chard in a kitchen towel to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. In a skillet, cook onion in the olive oil until golden, about 10 minutes. Add chard; cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with ricotta, marjoram, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the Parmigiano and the chard mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9-inch tart pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger dough disk to a 14-inch circle. Transfer to pan, pressing into corners and up sides. Trim all but 1/2 inch around rim. Scrape filling into pan. Roll out smaller dough disk to a 10-inch circle and place over filling. Fold edge of bottom crust up over top; pinch to seal. Cut 6 small slits in top to allow steam to escape. Place tar on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until pastry is browned. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove tart from pan and cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.