Spinach tart with oat pastry

SERVES 4-6 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION TIME)

cup (65g) rolled oats

½ cup (75g) plain flour pinch of salt

90g cold butter, chopped

1 egg, beaten lightly

40g butter, extra

1 medium (350g) leek, trimmed, rinsed, chopped finely

1 bunch (500g) spinach, stems trimmed, chopped

120g fresh ricotta cheese

4 eggs, extra

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

1 Process the oats, flour and salt until the oats are fine. Add the butter and process until combined. Add 1 tablespoon 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 and flatten to a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, heat the extra butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek; cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the 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. 3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). 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 minutes. Remove baking paper and weights; bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is dry and golden.

4 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 minutes or until the filling is just set. 5 Serve tart warm, sprinkled with fresh herbs, if desired.

Uncooked pastry suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.