Spinach-Broccoli Ricotta Pie

I decided to make Spinach-Broccoli Ricotta Pie for dinner tonight. It is a favorite around here, and packs a wallop of iron and calcium rich veggies in a delicate, rich-tasting filling with a crispy crust. I found a recipe in Mollie Katzen's The New Moosewood Cookbook for Spinach Ricotta Pie. However, I have made it at least 20 times and along the way I've made several additions and modifications. Most importantly, I decided to add broccoli to the mix for extra taste and toothsomeness (if that's a word). Here's my version of this recipe.

The Crust:
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 and 1/2 cups flour

4-6 tablespoons cold water, milk, or buttermilk 

The Filling:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium minced onion

1 pound spinach, stemmed and finely chopped (unless you are using baby spinach, in which case you do not have to take the stems out) 
1/2 to 1 pound broccoli, stems peeled, finely sliced (easiest way to do this is with the food processor)

3/4 teaspoon salt 

freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon dry basil 

15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese 

2 beaten eggs

3 tablespoons flour
dash of nutmeg 

1) Cut together the butter and flour in food processor until the mixture is uniformly blended and resembles coarse cornmeal.
2) Add about 4-6 tablespoons of ice water and pulse to form the dough. 

3) Roll out the dough and form a crust in a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Set aside.
4) Preheat oven to 375. Warm olive oil in a large skillet, add the onion, and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add broccoli and cover. Allow to steam for 4-5 minutes, till broccoli is tender. Then add spinach, salt, pepper, and basil, and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
5) Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Spread into the unbaked pie shell.
6) Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until firm to the touch at the center. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Empty pie crust.

Minced onion, finely chopped spinach, finely sliced broccoli all sauteed together. Ready to add to the ricotta, egg, and flour mixture.

Finished pie cooling on the counter.

Pie on plates; ready to eat!

8 servings at 8 WW points plus each.