A delicious chunky chopped pesto and creamy
ricotta in a flaky phyllo dough crust. In this recipe, you'll be making
your very own pesto. Once you'll discover just how easy it is, we have a
feeling you won't be having store-bought pesto any time soon...
Ingredients for home made pesto:
Basil - 7 1/2 cups (just the leaves)
Olive oil - 1 1/2 cup
Garlic - 3 cloves
Kosher salt - 1 tsp.
Ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp.
Pine nut - 3/4 cup (toasted)
Parmesan cheese - 3/4 cup (grated)
Ingredients for pie:
Unsalted butter - 6 tbsp
Leeks - 1 large -For most dishes, the best substitutes for leeks are green onions (scallions), white onions, or shallots
Eggs - 2 large
Egg white - 2
Cream - 1/4 cup
Ricotta cheese - 1 cup
Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup (grated)
Parsley - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Salt and Pepper - as needed
Phyllo dough - 8 sheets (thawed)
Method of preparing the home made pesto:
Toast the nuts lightly on a minimally oiled skillet.
Purée the basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a
food processor.
Add the nuts and Parmesan and pulse until the nuts are
roughly chopped.
Chill until needed.
Method of preparing the pie:
Make sure to thaw the phyllo just enough so it's manageable, but not
too soft. Heat the oven to 375°F.
Meanwhile, lightly butter a 9-inch
pie plate and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the
leeks and cook, stirring often until soft - this should take about 5 to 7
minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Whisk the eggs, egg whites and cream together in a medium bowl and
add it to the leeks with the ricotta, Parmesan, pesto, parsley, salt and
pepper.
Mix the ingredients well together and set aside.
Melt the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the
pie plate. Brush with melted butter and leave the outer 1/2 inch rim
unbrushed.
Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo. Using
kitchen shears, trim the edges of the pastry to fit with the shape of
the pie plate, and pour in the filling.
Brush the edge of the pastry with butter, and bake until the edges
are golden brown and the filling has set - about 40 minutes.
Allow the
pie to cool before serving.
Chef's Tip:
Cover the dough sheets with a damp towel to prevent them from drying.
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