Spinach and Ricotta Puff Pastry Tart
A golden puff pastry tart filled with creamy ricotta, wilted spinach and crumbled feta. The eggs set the filling into a soft, sliceable custard that holds its shape when cut.
- Total
- 71 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 41 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Folding · Whisking
- Sweet & savory
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lay the puff pastry on the parchment and press it out to a rough 30 x 22 cm rectangle. Fold the edges in by 2 cm to make a rim, then prick the base all over with a fork.
~10 min
Pricking the base lets steam escape so the pastry stays flat instead of ballooning unevenly.
-
Bake the pastry base on the middle shelf for 12 minutes, until puffed and pale gold. It will rise in the middle; press it flat with the back of a fork when it comes out.
~12 min
Blind-baking sets the base first, so the wet filling cannot soak in and make it soggy.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the pastry bakes, put the spinach in a colander and pour over 500 ml boiling water to wilt it, then press it hard with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Chop it roughly.
~8 min
Squeezing out water keeps the filling firm and stops the custard from weeping into the pastry.
Squeeze the spinach until it feels dry, not just drained. Any water left in it will seep into the ricotta and make the base soggy.
-
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Add the ricotta and whisk until smooth, then fold in the chopped spinach and crumble in 100 g of the feta.
~6 min
Folding Fold the spinach and feta in with a spatula, turning the bowl and lifting from the bottom. Stop as soon as streaks disappear; overmixing deflates the ricotta and makes the filling dense.
Whisking Whisk the eggs and ricotta until completely smooth, scraping the bowl edges. A lumpy mix leaves uneven pockets that set at different rates.
-
Brush the pastry rim with the olive oil. Spread the spinach and ricotta filling over the base inside the rim and level it with the back of a spoon. Scatter the remaining 20 g feta over the top.
~5 min
The oiled rim browns more evenly and helps the folded edge crisp rather than stay pale.
-
Bake for 28 minutes, until the filling is set at the edges and barely wobbles in the centre. A knife pushed into the middle should come out clean.
~28 min
The centre should still wobble slightly because residual heat finishes setting the custard as it cools.
If the pastry rim browns faster than the filling sets, lay a strip of parchment over the edges and keep baking until the centre is just set.
-
Leave the tart on the tray for 10 minutes to firm up before slicing, so the custard sets and the slices hold together.
~10 min
Resting lets the egg custard finish setting, so slices cut cleanly instead of running.