SPINACH TART WITH OAT PASTRY

Prep time 30 mins Cooking time 45 mins Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2⁄3 cup (65g) rolled oats

½ cup (75g) plain flour

A pinch of salt

90g cold butter, chopped

1 egg, beaten lightly 40g butter, extra 350g leek, trimmed, rinsed, finely chopped

500g spinach, stems trimmed, chopped

120g fresh ricotta cheese

4 eggs, extra

½ cup (40g) finely grated parmesan cheese Fresh herbs, to serve

METHOD

Make crust: Process oats, flour and salt until the oats are fine. Add butter and process until combined. Add 1 tbsp of the egg; process until it comes together in a ball, adding a little more of the egg, if needed, to bring the pastry together. Remove dough and flatten to a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the extra butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add leek; cook, stirring, for 10 mins or until soft and golden.

Add spinach and stir until just wilted. Remove from the heat and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool slightly. Squeeze lightly to remove excess moisture.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm loose-based flan tin thoroughly; place on an oven tray. Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper until large enough to line the base and side of prepared tin.

Ease pastry into tin; trim edge. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 15 mins. Remove baking paper and weights; bake for a further 10 mins or until pastry is dry and golden.

Spoon spinach mixture into the pie case and dot with the ricotta. Lightly beat extra eggs in a medium jug and season with sea salt and ground white pepper. Pour egg into pastry case and sprinkle with the parmesan.

Bake for 20 mins or until the filling is just set. Serve tart warm, sprinkled with fresh herbs, if desired.