Squash Blossom Ricotta Pie Recipe
Prep Time:
1 hour
Cook Time:
1 hour, 10 minutes
Servings:
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ½ cup water, iced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon verbena leaves
  • 1 tablespoon rosie basil leaves
  • ½ tablespoon flowering thyme leaves
  • 2 medium (12 ounces) pattypan squash, thinly sliced using a mandoline
  • 1 medium (7 ounces) zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise using a mandoline
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • ½ cup goat cheese
  • ½ cup ricotta
  • 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 garlic clove, zested
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Pie dough
  • Ricotta-and-goat cheese filling
  • Patty pan squash slices, degorged squash blossoms
  • Zucchini slices, degorged
Directions
  1. Make the pie dough: Preheat the oven to 350º. In a large bowl, add the flour, salt and sugar and whisk together until fully incorporated. Add in the cold butter and, using a pastry cutter, work into the flour mixture until the butter is in pea-sized chunks. Slowly stream in the cold water until a dough begins to form. Add the herbs and knead into the dough until just incorporated, being careful not to overwork. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  2. While the dough is resting, salt the squash: Place the slices in a colander over a sink. Sprinkle the slices with the salt and let the slices degorge for 30 minutes. Lightly rinse the squash and lay out each slice in between layers on paper towels to dry completely.
  3. Make the cheese filling: In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add all of the cheese filling ingredients except the salt and mix until all the components are fully combined. Season with salt and reserve in the refrigerator until needed.
  4. Assemble the pie: Roll out the dough on a floured surface into roughly a 12-inch circle. Lay the dough over a 9-inch pie dish and trim off any excess, leaving about an extra inch of dough in order to have enough to crimp. Crimp the dough all the way around and, using a fork, prick the entire bottom surface of the pie plate.
  5. Place a sheet of foil over the dough and press lightly so that it is touching the dough. Weigh down the dough with baking beans to ensure that the dough does not rise during baking. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the beans and foil. Bake uncovered 15 minutes more, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle, 15 to 20 minutes.
  6. Spread the cheese filling on top of the pie crust and shingle with the pattypan squash slices, then lay the squash blossoms over the slices. Roll the zucchini slices tightly lengthwise from one end to the other to form the zucchini roses, and place them between any empty spaces around the squash blossoms. Bake until the squash is cooked and the pie is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve warm or room temperature.