Riviera Egg Pie
Recipe courtesy Mary Nolan

This was very good. A nice change from the Ricotta, Ham & Scallion Tart we normally make after baking a ham. It was a bit salty and the Parmesan cheese over-powered the spinach, I thought. Next time we will use only 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese which will also cut back on the salt. We used 1 pound fresh spinach and blanched it.

3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 (9-inch) refrigerated, unbaked pie crusts (a 15-ounce package)
3/4 pound smoked ham, diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups [cut back to 1 cup] freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 eggs, plus 1 yolk, slightly beaten (use extra egg white to brush pastry)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt [omit - ham and cheese salty enough]
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent and just golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool while preparing crust.

Remove 1 of the prepared pie crusts from the refrigerator, and place in an ungreased, 9-inch pie plate. Shape the crust to fit the form of the pan with a 1/2-inch overlap around the edge.

To the onion mixture, add the ham, spinach, cheeses, 4 eggs plus 1 yolk, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

[Brush the bottom crust with some of the egg white; this helps keep the crust from getting soggy.] Spread mixture into prepared crust. Cover with remaining pie crust; crimp edges and score to vent. Brush with egg white and bake until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. [Baking on a sheet pan also helps keep the bottom crust from getting soggy.]

Let stand at least 15 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

8 servings