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Macaroni Spinach Cheese Tart


Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 8
Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 7 tablespoons  butter, room temperature
  • 3.5 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg yolk

For the Filling:

  • 7 oz long macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 14 oz fresh baby spinach
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1+1/3 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 3 eggs

Instructions

Make the Crust:

  1. Beat the flour, butter, ricotta, and egg yolk together with a pinch of salt.
  2. Wrap in plastic cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Make the Filling:

  4. Cook the long macaroni in salt water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic and stir fry until the onion turns transparent.

  6. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly. Stir-fry, stirring for 2 minutes until the spinach wilts.

  7. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  8. Assemble the Tart:

  9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour a deep 10-inch tart form.
  10. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a circle on a lightly floured work surface.
  11. Transfer the crust to the prepared pan and crimp the edges all the way around.
  12. in a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, heavy cream, milk, and eggs. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

  13. Starting in the center, spiral the long macaroni to create a layer of pasta on the bottom. Cover the pasta with a layer of the cream mixture, then a layer of the cooked spinach mixture on top of the cream.
  14. Repeat starting and ending with a layer of macaroni. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella on top.
  15. Place the torte in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.