CREAMY SPINACH BAKED WITH MASCARPONE, RICOTTA & PARMESAN

It wasn’t until I started making this dish that my kids would happily eat spinach. Italians have a serious relationship with spinach and leafy greens, so I’m delighted they’ve seen the light! This tastes like creamed spinach, but the eggs make it lighter and fluffier. It’s a perfect accompaniment to steak or roast chicken. When buying spinach, look for fresh dark-green leaves with a crisp texture.

Serves 4-6

1kg (2lb 4oz) fresh spinach, stalks removed

3 medium eggs

100g (3½oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

100g (3½oz) mascarpone cheese

100g (3½oz) ricotta cheese

¼tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Wash the spinach, place it in a large pan with some water still clinging to the leaves, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain thoroughly in a colander. You may have to cook the spinach in 2 batches. Press down on the spinach using the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much water as possible. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze it well to extract any remaining water. Then roughly chop the spinach.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and then beat together with the Parmesan cheese, mascarpone, ricotta and nutmeg. Season well, add the spinach and stir to combine. Tip the mixture into a baking dish, about 25cm x 20cm, and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.