Pesto-Ricotta Quiche

I had bought phyllo dough without a plan but as I surfed the web for recipes, this one popped out at me and I had the ingredients already. I added a bit of cooked, crumbled bacon to it to make it more appealing to my husband who was gracious to try this for dinner even though he's prefer this for breakfast :) The crust got a little too dark and I think my oven runs a bit hotter than it should. Originally, I had it set to 375 degrees but turned it down to 350 and gave it a few extra minutes for cooking. It's done when your inserted knife comes out clean.

Pesto-Ricotta Quiche

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup of cooked spinach, chopped
  
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella
  
• 3 tablespoons broccoli pesto (see recipe below) or your favorite pesto recipe
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8-9 sheets of phyllo dough
  

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Using a basting brush, lightly butter 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Whisk the eggs and cream together in a medium bowl, add the spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, pesto, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.

Lay one sheet of phyllo in the prepared pie plate. Brush the phyllo with melted butter, leaving the outer 1 1/2-inch rim unbrushed. Repeat with the rest of the phyllo sheets.

Trim the edges to conform with the shape of the pie plate using kitchen shears and pour in the filling. Brush the top of the phyllo rim with butter, and bake until the edges are golden brown and the filling is set, about 50 minutes. Cool before serving.

Broccoli Pesto

• 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup tightly packed broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons chicken stock
• splash of lemon juice
  
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend well into a smooth paste.