Spinach & Ricotta Quiche Delight
Yield: 1 × 9-inch quiche
Servings: 6–8
Prep time: 25 minutes
Blind-bake: 15–20 minutes
Final bake: 35–45 minutes
Total: About 1 hour 20 minutes
Oven: 350°F / 175°C after pre-baking
🛒 Ingredients
For the crust
1 9-inch refrigerated pre-made pie crust
1 tbsp butter, for greasing if needed
Pie weights or dried beans/rice for blind baking
Spinach filling
1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped for the minimum amount shown in the image
4 cups fresh baby spinach is recommended for a much more spinach-rich quiche
1 small onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Ricotta custard
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
3 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella — optional, but gives the photographed-style melted top
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp Italian seasoning or 1 tsp fresh thyme
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the top
¼ cup shredded mozzarella
2 tbsp Parmesan
Pinch of black pepper
A little Italian seasoning
Optional: a few small pieces of roasted red pepper or tomato for color
The spinach must be cooked and drained very well; excess water is one of the main causes of a watery quiche.
👩🍳 Full Detailed Method
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat to:
400°F / 200°C
You will lower it to 350°F / 175°C for the actual quiche.
Place a baking sheet in the oven while it heats.
Why? Putting the quiche on a hot baking sheet helps the bottom crust start cooking immediately.
2. Prepare the pie crust
Place the refrigerated pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish.
Gently press it into:
the bottom
the corners
the sides.
Don’t stretch the pastry.
Trim excessive pastry around the edge and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork.
Prick the bottom several times with a fork.
3. Blind-bake the crust
Cover the crust with parchment paper.
Fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
Bake at 400°F / 200°C for 12–15 minutes.
Remove the parchment and weights.
Return the crust to the oven for another 5 minutes, until the bottom looks dry and very lightly golden.
Blind baking helps prevent the wet ricotta-and-egg filling from making the pastry soggy.
Remove the crust.
Reduce the oven to:
350°F / 175°C.
🥬 4. Cook the spinach
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the diced onion.
Cook for approximately 4–5 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic.
Cook for approximately 30 seconds.
Add the chopped spinach.
Cook until the spinach is completely wilted.
For fresh spinach, this generally takes only a few minutes.
VERY IMPORTANT: remove the water
Transfer the spinach mixture to a sieve.
Press it firmly with the back of a spoon.
You want to remove as much liquid as possible.
For an especially dry filling, put the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze it.
Do not skip this step.
Water trapped in spinach can make the finished quiche loose and watery.
Let the spinach cool for several minutes.
🧀 5. Make the ricotta mixture
In a large bowl, combine:
1 cup ricotta
3 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan
½ cup mozzarella
¼ tsp nutmeg
Italian seasoning
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper.
Whisk until combined.
Don’t worry if the ricotta remains slightly lumpy.
Those little ricotta pockets are actually desirable.
🥬 6. Add the spinach
Add the cooled, well-drained spinach and onion mixture to the ricotta mixture.
Stir gently until evenly distributed.
Taste the mixture.
Adjust with:
more salt
black pepper
Parmesan
nutmeg
as desired.
🥧 7. Fill the crust
Place the blind-baked crust on a baking sheet.
Pour the spinach-ricotta filling into the crust.
Smooth the top.
Don’t overfill it.
Leave approximately ¼ inch / 6 mm below the top edge of the crust.
🧀 8. Finish the top
Sprinkle over:
¼ cup mozzarella
2 tbsp Parmesan
black pepper
Italian seasoning.
For the appearance in your photograph, keep some ricotta visible rather than completely covering the surface with cheese.
🔥 9. Bake
Bake at:
350°F / 175°C for approximately 35–45 minutes.
Start checking at 35 minutes.
The quiche is ready when:
the crust is golden brown
the filling is puffed slightly
the edges are firm
the center has only a very slight wobble
the top is lightly golden.
Don’t wait until the center is completely hard.
The residual heat will continue cooking it after it leaves the oven. Similar recipes recommend removing quiche while the center is just set/slightly wobbly and allowing it to finish setting during cooling.
If the crust gets too dark
Cover just the crust edges with aluminum foil.
Continue baking until the center is set.
⏰ 10. Rest before cutting
Remove from the oven.
Let it rest for 15–20 minutes.
This is important.
Cutting immediately can cause the creamy filling to collapse or release liquid.
For especially clean slices, let it cool for 25–30 minutes.
🔪 11. Slice
Use a sharp knife.
Cut into:
6 large wedges, or
8 smaller wedges.
The ideal interior should be creamy and moist but not runny.
You should see distinct pieces of spinach throughout the ricotta filling, similar to your photograph.
🌿 Optional Finishing Touch
Before serving, add:
fresh parsley
fresh basil
a little grated Parmesan
cracked black pepper
tiny drizzle of good olive oil.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
🥬 Fresh vs. Frozen Spinach
Fresh spinach
For this recipe, I recommend:
4 cups fresh spinach → approximately 1–1½ cups cooked/drained spinach.
Fresh spinach has a lot of water, so cook it down and squeeze it thoroughly.
Frozen spinach
Use approximately:
8–10 oz frozen chopped spinach.
Thaw completely.
Then squeeze out as much water as possible.
Frozen spinach is actually very convenient for quiche because it’s already chopped.
🇮🇹 Italian-Style Version
If you want the flavor to be closer to an Italian torta salata ricotta e spinaci, change the filling slightly:
1¼ cups ricotta
2 eggs
½ cup Parmesan
4 cups fresh spinach
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Use puff pastry instead of traditional pie crust.
This style is commonly made with ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, egg, garlic, nutmeg, and pastry and can be served warm or cold.
🥓 Delicious Variations
Spinach, Ricotta & Bacon
Add:
4 oz cooked crispy bacon
½ cup mozzarella.
Drain the bacon well before adding it.
Spinach & Mushroom
Add:
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ small onion.
Cook the mushrooms until their water has evaporated before adding them.
Spinach & Feta
Replace half the Parmesan with:
½ cup crumbled feta.
This makes the filling saltier and more tangy.
Tomato & Ricotta
Add:
halved cherry tomatoes
fresh basil.
Pat the tomatoes dry first.
Garlic & Herb
Add:
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
½ tsp oregano.
❄️ Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make this quiche 1–2 days ahead.
After baking:
Cool completely.
Cover tightly.
Refrigerate.
Reheat before serving.
A number of spinach-ricotta quiche recipes recommend refrigeration for several days, though the exact storage time depends on the ingredients and refrigerator temperature.
For best texture, I recommend eating it within 3 days.
❄️ Can You Freeze It?
Yes.
Cool completely.
Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag/container.
Freeze for up to approximately 1 month for best quality; one published spinach-ricotta version specifically recommends freezing for up to a month.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat at:
325°F / 165°C for about 15–20 minutes.
🔥 Reheating
Oven — best method
325°F / 165°C for 15–20 minutes.
Air fryer
325°F / 165°C for approximately 5–8 minutes per slice.
Microwave
Heat one slice for 45–90 seconds, checking halfway.
The oven gives you the best crust.
📊 Estimated Nutrition
Because the image doesn’t provide exact quantities or brands, nutrition is an estimate.
For an 8-slice quiche made with the recipe above:
Nutrient Approx. per slice
Calories 350–400 kcal
Protein 16–19 g
Carbohydrates 20–25 g
Fat 24–28 g
Saturated fat 11–14 g
Fiber 1–2 g
Sugar 2–3 g
Sodium 500–700 mg
Cholesterol 120–150 mg
Actual nutrition can vary considerably with the pie crust, ricotta, Parmesan, cream, and amount of cheese. Nutrition estimates based only on ingredient lists should be treated as approximate.
🌰 Allergen & “Nut” Information
If by “nut info” you mean nuts/allergens:
Naturally nut-free
The basic recipe contains no tree nuts or peanuts.
However, check the labels on:
pre-made pie crust
ricotta
Parmesan
mozzarella
seasoning blends.
Manufacturing facilities can have cross-contact with nuts.
Major allergens
This recipe contains:
Milk/dairy: ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, cream, butter
Egg: eggs
Wheat/gluten: conventional pie crust
Nut-free precaution
If you’re preparing this for someone with a severe nut allergy, use products specifically labeled for the required allergy precautions rather than assuming a packaged crust or cheese is safe.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my quiche watery?
The most common culprit is water from the spinach.
Cook the spinach thoroughly and squeeze it extremely well before adding it to the filling.
Why is the bottom of my crust soggy?
The filling is very wet, so blind-baking the crust first is highly recommended.
Can I skip blind baking?
You can, but I don’t recommend it for this particular creamy filling.
Blind baking gives you a much better chance of getting the crisp crust visible in your photograph.
Can I use only 1 cup of spinach?
Yes, because that’s what the text in the image specifies.
But 4 cups fresh spinach gives a much more noticeable spinach flavor and a better spinach-to-ricotta ratio.
Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
Yes.
Blend the cottage cheese briefly for a smoother filling, or leave some curds intact for texture.
Can I omit the cream?
Yes.
Replace it with ½ cup whole milk for a lighter quiche.
The result will be slightly less rich.
Can I make it crustless?
Yes.
Grease a 9-inch pie dish very well, pour the filling directly into it, and bake until the center is set.
You’ll essentially have a spinach-ricotta egg bake rather than a traditional quiche.
Can I use puff pastry?
Absolutely.
It produces a lighter, flakier crust and gives the dish more of an Italian torta salata character.
Why did my quiche crack?
Usually it has been baked too long or at too high a temperature.
Take it out when the center is just set with a slight wobble.
Why does my ricotta look lumpy?
That’s normal.
Ricotta naturally has small curds.
If you want an ultra-smooth filling, whisk or briefly blend the ricotta before combining it with the eggs.
Can I eat it cold?
Yes.
Spinach-ricotta quiche is excellent at room temperature or chilled, especially for lunch or picnics.
What should I serve with it?
Good pairings include:
green salad
tomato salad
roasted vegetables
fresh fruit
crusty bread
light soup.
⭐ Best Version for the Photograph
For the thick, creamy, very spinach-rich center shown in your image, I’d use:
1 × 9-inch pie crust + 4 cups fresh spinach + 1¼ cups whole-milk ricotta + 3 eggs + ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup Parmesan + ½ cup mozzarella + garlic + onion + nutmeg.
Blind-bake the crust first, squeeze the spinach extremely dry, bake the filled quiche at 350°F / 175°C for 35–45 minutes, and let it rest 20 minutes before cutting.
