Spinach and Ricotta Sformatino
Loosely translated as a little savoury flan, this sformatino makes a wonderfully light starter that's incredibly easy to make and is a real crowd-pleaser. The mixture can be prepared ahead of time and popped in the oven 20 minutes before you're ready to sit down.
Here it's served with a homemade grissino, micro herbs and Parmesan, but you could also serve it with a rocket salad if you're unable to find micro herbs in your local supermarket.
Serves 6
3 eggs
250g spinach
250g ricotta
75g grated Parmesan
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Remove any stalks from the spinach, discard and wilt the leaves in a pan. Leave to cool. Once cool, squeeze as much water out as possible - don't be alarmed at how much it shrinks!
Put the spinach, eggs, ricotta, a good pinch of nutmeg, the Parmesan, salt and pepper in to a food processor and blend until green and smooth.
Grease a muffin tin and fill with the mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked.
Dress the micro herbs with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon and place on top of each sformatino for garnish. Grate some Parmesan on top to finish.
