Veggieful Ricotta Pie

The other day, as I was about to slap out another pb & j to keep body and soul together until the end of the day, I remembered something pertinent to the task at hand. The night before I had made a delectable Veggieful Ricotta Pie and the leftovers were there for the taking. Now that’s a lunch to look forward to: super healthy and satisfying, plus it’s easy to pack and delicious either hot or at room temperature. I think you’ll love this recipe just as much as my clients and I do!

Veggieful Ricotta Pie

1/2 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup finely shredded Peccorino Romano cheese, divided use
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the bottom of a 9” pie pan with the butter and sprinkle the bottom evenly with bread crumbs. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the shallot for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the garlic and saute about 30 seconds more. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil plus the onion, mushrooms, and zucchini. Continue to saute, stirring frequently until vegetables are slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine 1/2 cup of the Romano cheese, ricotta cheese, parsley, eggs, salt and white pepper. When the vegetables are done, pour them into the cheese mixture and blend thoroughly.

Pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared pie pan and sprinkle with remaining Romano cheese. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until slightly puffed and golden on top. Serve hot or at room temperature.