This is an easy, light and savory recipe for vegetable ricotta pie that only takes 15 minutes to prep!It’s the ultimate veggie quiche for your next brunch!
A simple vegetable quiche servedwith a lightly dressed saladis something Ilove ordering whenever I’m out having brunch.
It’s tasty, light and always pairs nicely with a glass of chardonnay (or a mimosa)!
But even though I love going out for brunch, there’s nothing better than having friends over for a lazy weekend meal.
This vegetable ricotta pie is one of those hearty vegetable recipes that will please everyone… from those watching their calories – to those friends that just want to feast like there’s no tomorrow! And this ricotta loaded vegetable pie always ends up being a big hit with even the pickiest of eaters. I mean, isn’t it awesome when everyone leaves that table satisfied?!
Bonus: this ricotta pie is SUPER easy to make at home.
Wait, is it a vegetable quiche?
Now, this vegetable ricotta pie is very similar to a quiche in that it begins life as eggs and cheese, baked into a pie crust.
However, this vegetable pie recipe differs slightly since it is made with ricotta cheese instead of milk (or cream). You might just say that makes it a bit more Italian in origin than a traditional French quiche recipe.
Nevertheless, you could totally just call it a ricotta quiche and be done with it.
Way more important than the name is the flavor though!
There’s an undercurrent of savory umami from the pecorino Romano cheese and sun dried tomatoes that is smoothed out and softened by the creamy ricotta cheese. The garden fresh zucchini and red bell pepper pop and deliver great texture.
Oh – and the sun dried tomatoes pull double duty in this veggie loaded ricotta pie. You see, they also impart a light and zesty tartness to the entire flavor profile. Nice!
Btw… if you are a quiche aficionado, you may absolutely LOVE these other quiche recipes:
Parmesan and Broccoli Quiche
Spring Swiss Chard Pie With Gruyere
Bacon Sun Dried Tomato Quiche
Crustless Quiche With Edamame and Sun Dried Tomatoes
Feel free to experiment with the ingredients you use in your own brunch-y quiche creations. Believe me, your hungry friends and family will be glad you did!
How to make ricotta pie with vegetables
This pie is packed with zucchini, red bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. It’s a healthy and vibrant medley of summer veggies baked with eggs, pecorino Romano and ricotta cheese.
Full disclosure: Iam using store-bought pie crust for this vegetable ricotta pie recipe since I’m not much of a baker.
And, while they tend to be a little sweeter than homemade crusts, I personally find that to be a good thing.You see, I enjoy the combination of slightly sweet and savory when it comes to my quiche.
To start, I just get my oil going in a pan with garlic, rosemary, chopped zucchini and red bell pepper. After cooking for about four minutes, I add my sun dried tomatoes, scallions and dried oregano and stir the mixture for another 3 minutes.
After cooking, those veggies need to cool to room temperature (or close).
Then, it’s time to whisk the eggs in a bowl, add your pecorino Romano, ricotta and salt and pepper! Mix the cooled veggie mixture in – and transfer to your pie crust.
It’s gonna be so yummy!
40-50 minutes in the oven at 350°F will cook your vegetable ricotta pie to perfection!
What is Ricotta Cheese?
Ricotta is a creamy, white Italian cheese made from milk whey.
And while it can be made from sheep, cow or goat’s milk, most varieties have a fresh, slightly sweet taste.
Similar in texture to mascarpone, it’s common to find ricotta used in both savory and sweet recipes due to it’s light flavor and malleable nature. It takes on whatever flavor profile you throw at it like a champ!
But to break it down to its flavor essence, you could almost say that ricotta cheese’s flavor is most similar to cottage cheese if it had a SUPER fine texture.
It lends a wonderful airy creaminess to this savory vegetable ricotta pie.
Can you refrigerate this vegetable ricotta pie?
This ricotta and veggie loaded quiche is fluffy, eggy and so satisfying!
In fact, if you’re cooking for two, it’s probably better to make two pies if you are planning to have any leftovers. Ben and I always manage to eatan entire pie over the course of a day! The extra ricotta pie holds up pretty well in the fridge for a couple of days provided it is well covered by plastic wrap or foil.
And the same logic applies if you plan on having a crew of people over for brunch.
You can totally make this vegetable ricotta pie the night before, toss it in the fridge and then warm it up when your guests arrive.
This cheesy vegetable pie holds it’s own in the microwave. Or you can do the re-heat in the oven on low – around 240°F for 15-20 minutes or so.
So, the next time you hold the brunch get-together at your place, you’ll be ready to cook on the spot… or reheat to your heart’s content 🙂
What about you? What’s your favorite thing to serve at brunch? I’d love to hear about your favorites in the comments section.
Happy cooking, friends!
Serve this vegetable ricotta pie with these delicious and easy salad recipes:
Summer Rainbow Salad
Chopped Salad With Avocado and Endive
Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad
Arugula Salad With Cranberries and Blue Cheese
Quinoa Edamame Salad
Did you like this Vegetable Ricotta Pie Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share?Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
In a large pan over medium high heat, add olive oil, garlic, rosemary, zucchini and red bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes.
Add sun dried tomatoes, scallion and dried oregano and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the vegetables on to a plate and let cool to room temperature.
Whisk eggs, ricotta, pecorino, salt and pepper in a bowl and add vegetables.
Pour mixture in the pie shell and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until cooked through. Serve.
Notes
This vegetable ricotta pie is best fresh out of the oven, but leftovers hold up rather well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Heat up leftover ricotta pie in the microwave – or reheat in the ovenon low (around 240ºF for 15-20 minutes).
So what cheeses are vegetarian? Fresh cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, paneer, cottage cheese, and cream cheese tend to be vegetarian by nature, requiring lemon juice or citric acid to coagulate instead of rennet. Otherwise, look for cheese that explicitly states that it was created with vegetarian rennet.
For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny. One or more eggs are recommended whether you add the other ingredients mentioned here or not.
In the United States, American ricotta is almost always made of cow's milk whey, as opposed to Italian ricotta which is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk.
Compared to most cheeses, ricotta is a healthier choice because it contains less salt and fat - 10 per cent fat, of which 6 per cent is saturated. It's light and creamy with a slightly grainy texture and delicate flavour that can be used on its own or in sweet and savoury dishes.
Like many other types of cheese, authentic mozzarella uses animal rennet, a substance obtained from the stomach lining of young animals that have not yet been weaned. Many vegetarians and lactose intolerants cannot consume mozzarella and a variety of other classic European cheeses due to this restriction.
So Why Isn't Parmesan Cheese Vegetarian? This answer is encapsulated in one word: rennet. Specifically animal rennet, collected from slaughtered cows, goats or other young, milk-fed ruminant animals.
Commonly, fresh ricotta cheese can be made from cow's milk. However, it can also be made from goat, sheep, and water buffalo milk. Ricotta is made from whey, the liquid left over from the cheese-making process of other cheeses.
Ricotta (Italian: [riˈkɔtta]) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein has been used to make cheese, notably albumin and globulin.
Did you know that it's super easy to make homemade ricotta cheese with just 4 ingredients? To make this deliciously creamy ricotta cheese recipe, all you need is milk, cream, salt & vinegar; no special tools required.
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