Spinach pie with pine nuts and raisins
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes total
Keywords: bake side gluten-free low-carb soy-free sugar-free vegetarian spinach leafy greens egg raisins pine nuts Italian
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 1 pound 10 ounces / 740 grams spinach OR a combination of spinach and other dark leafy greens, including beet greens, turnip greens, tatsoi
- 3/4 ounce / 20 grams raisins
- 3/4 ounce / 20 grams pine nuts
- 4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 anchovy fillets
- 1/2 ounce / 15 grams drained small capers
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 large eggs from pastured poultry
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Wash the spinach and other greens, if using, carefully and drain them, letting a small amount of water cling to the leaves.
If you are using beet greens, tatsoi, or another dark leafy green with relatively thicker stems, separate those from the leaves and chop them.
Place the raisins in a ramekin and pour 1 tablespoon warm water on them and stir. Set aside.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Do not walk away from the skillet and keep the pine nuts moving in it: they are small and delicate and burn easily. Set aside.
A handful at a time, chop the leafy greens. I make a small pile and slice it at 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm intervals. Transfer the chopped greens into a large bowl.
Warm up a large skillet over medium heat, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml of the olive oil. If you have them, add the chopped stems, stir well, cover, and cook them for 5 minutes or until tender. Add half of the chopped greens, stir well, cover and cook until the greens are tender (8-12 minutes, depending on the greens), stirring every now and then. Transfer the greens into a bowl to cool.
Repeat with the same amount of olive oil and the rest of the greens.
Mince together the parsley, anchovy fillets, capers and garlic, possibly using a mezzaluna.
Warm up a small skillet over medium heat, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the olive oil. Add the minced ingredients and cook for a minute or so, making sure the garlic does not turn brown. Remove from the heat, add to the cooked greens and stir well. Add the raisins and stir.
Roughly smash the pine nuts with a mortar and pestle. Add to the vegetable mixture and stir.
Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C.
Oil the bottom of a 9.5" / 24 cm glass pie plate. Dust it with fine breadcrumbs and remove the excess.
Break the egg into a small bowl, whisk it with a fork to blend yolk and white, then pour it onto the vegetables and stir to incorporate.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper, stir well and empty the bowl into the prepared pie plate.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Take the plate out of the oven. Serve immediately (it will cool slightly when you cut it and transfer onto plates).
