Savory pie with green asparagus and ricotta cheese

My “asparagus poetry” basically involves the inclusion of these vegetables in almost everything I cook. I love them so much, that in my madness, I think that they also love me.

Amazing, versatile, with a particular taste, the asparagus is the perfect ally for healthy and tasty recipes. Like the savory pie with green asparagus and ricotta cheese: a few simple and basic seasonal ingredients joined together to give a genuine and full meal.

Heinz Beck – with “only” 3 Michelin Stars in his bag – said that

Kitchen is not only about eating. It is much, much more. Kitchen is poetry.

And he’s damn right.

Savory pie with green asparagus and ricotta cheese – the recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 150 g of all purpose flour
• 75 g of wholemeal flour
• 75 g of manitoba flour
• 1 egg
• 100 g of water
• 70 g of butter
• Salt to taste.

  For the stuffing:

• 500 g of green asparagus
• a small shallot
• 2 eggs
• 250 g of ricotta cheese
• 4 tablespoons off grated Parmesan
• Extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper q.s.
• Sesame seeds and fresh thyme leaves q.s.

While you’re tasting listen: Scivola vai via, Vinicio Capossela

PROCESS

1. Wash and peel the asparagus, cut them into rounds and boil them in salted water.
   After 10 minutes drain them and cook for a quarter of an hour with a drizzle of olive oil and the chopped shallot. Cook with lid adding water only if necessary.
2. Mix together the ricotta cheese, the eggs and the grated Parmesan. Combine the asparagus and blend it all together along with salt and pepper.
3. Make the dough for the savory pie by mixing the egg, water and melted butter in flour.
4. Knead well, shape a ball and put aside a third of that (for the top) to rest in the fridge.
5. Roll out the dough, the thinnest possible and lining a cake tin. Pour the asparagus filling into it.
6. Roll out the remaining dough and cut it into strips. Arrange it over the filling as if it were a real tart.
7. Cook the savory pie in a preheated oven at 180° C for about 50 minutes.
8. Finish it with a handful of sesame seeds and a few thyme leaves.

Ph. Sara Cartelli
© The Eat Culture