Rustic Ricotta Pie with Zucchini Flowers

Yesterday I made good use of some of my courgette flowers I had in the garden. This year I managed to get only a few courgettes. I think the constant rain we had in the summer has prevented them from growing properly.

my vegetables patch!

All the flowers left were male ones; once the plant has been pollinated and you can see that the courgettes have appeared, you are free to pick all the flowers without the miniature courgette (the female ones) at the base.

So far I have only dipped them in batter and fried them. Very tasty indeed, but I have seen people can make different uses of them. They can be very nice added to salads and pasta dishes. This time I have experimented and I have put them in a pie.

I cooked the courgettes, added ricotta and eggs and put the flowers on top covered with grated Parmesan. It made a good rustic and tasty dinner. I am keen on preparing vegetarian meals from time to time. They can be even more tasty than meat and healthier too.

If you have plenty of flowers you can mix them up with the courgettes instead of putting them on top.

• Prep Time : 30 minutes
• Cook Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

• flour – 250 g
• butter – 100 g
• egg – 1
• For the filling:
• eggs – 2
• zucchini (courgettes) – 3
• onion – 1
• garlic – 2 cloves
• ricotta cheese – 250 g
• grated Parmesan – 4 tbsp
• grated parsley – 1 tbsp
• salt and pepper
• zucchini (courgette) flowers – 10
• breadcrumbs – 3 tbsp
• olive oil

Instructions

First let’s make the short crust pastry.

On your working top mix together the flour, egg and diced butter. Work first with your knife then with the help of your hands mix the ingredients well to get a nice and smooth dough.

If it feels sticky on your hands put it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Grease a round baking tray and cover it all with the pastry. Pinch it all over with a fork and put it in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes at 200 C.

Clean the zucchini flowers by taking the stems off; then wash them gently in running water.

To make the filling, cut the zucchini into small cubes. Chop the onion finely and stir fry it in a pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil and the sliced garlic cloves. Then add the zucchini and the parsley, salt and pepper and cook it for 15 minutes until they are soft.

Let it cool down and add the ricotta, the egg yolks, 2 tbsp of Parmesan, 2 tbsp of olive oil and stir well. Beat the egg whites until firm with a pinch of salt and incorporate them well with the filling.

When the pastry is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it cool down. Pour the filling on it.

Brush the flowers with a little olive oil and lay them onto the filling. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan on top.

Cook the pie at 200C for 30 minutes until it gets a brownish look.

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