Ricotta and Broccoli Rabe Pie

I never anticipated broccoli and olives would be part of this baking project, but here we are making the Ricotta and Broccoli Rabe Pie. Thanks to this recipe, I have a whole new outlook on the possibilities savory desserts can bring to my life (and also quite potentially to my thighs!).

After the amount of times I’ve explained something was new to me in terms of flavors with these recipes, it may come as no surprise that broccoli is also a very new concept to me. Like many children, I just avoided it at all costs growing up, and that avoidance continued way too long into my adulthood. Only a few weeks before making this recipe did I discover that roasted broccoli is absolutely delicious; yes, I really need to grow up.

I made this recipe now simply because I already had the ricotta cheese for it. As I anticipated, I did not stumble upon broccoli rabe in Utah, so I simply used regular, fresh broccoli produce. I was also a bit disappointed in my quest for anchovies. I’m sure you’re shocked to learn I’ve never worked with this ingredient either, however I was relatively surprised to only find one tiny container of anchovies in the grocery store amongst all the tuna, sardines, mackerel, herring and tons of other canned fishies. Perhaps this is obvious, but I wasn’t sure if I opened that little can of anchovies whether I’d find mini fish with their heads and eyeballs or little fillets that would be easy to mash up? I wasn’t brave enough to find out, okay?! So unfortunately, I did without this part. After looking up potential replacements, I added a bit of soy sauce instead for the salt element the anchovies would have provided.

Before I even started making this savory dessert, I worked on the Flaky Olive Oil Dough a couple nights beforehand. I am extremely happy I did this ahead of time. This vegan dough certainly provides a great alternative to traditional pie dough, but if you thought making pie dough was a workout, get ready. I made a double batch for the Rabe Pie recipe, but I probably could have made a triple batch. I definitely used more olive oil than instructed, as I struggled to get the right moisture in this dough so it would roll out and stay together. It is much crumblier and drier than traditional pie dough, and the more you work with it, the more it needs oil as a glue. Claire also said it may shrink as you work with it, which proved to be true. This one took a lot of work to reach the right texture, but eventually I got there. I took it out of the fridge when I started making the Rabe Pie recipe so it would have time to get to room temperature.

As I cooked the broccoli, I really enjoyed its bright green color (why did I fear this vegetable all these years?). The ricotta mixture was very easy and quick to put together for the filling. I did not chop the olives since there was no direction to do so, and I think this is the right move so you get those visible olive slices when you cut into the pie later.

When it was time to start working with the Flaky Olive Oil Dough, the first steps had me confused! I have no idea why Claire said to press the piece you cut off from the dough into the bigger slice. Anyway, I once again got a workout rolling out this dough. Fortunately for me, my springform pan is only nine inches, so I had a little room for flexibility in the sizes of the two pieces. I did use a little more olive oil to give the dough more moisture after being refrigerated. While I read through the directions in placing the rolled dough into the springform pan, it seemed strange to put the dough on the removable base, fold the outer pieces inward, then lock that base in the springform pan. However, with this type of dough, I highly suggest to just follow the directions and not question what Claire is saying. While those pieces you fold inward may break a little, it’s much easier to push it back together once the base of the dough is placed into the pan. It took a while to build up the sides from this dough. I realized my double batch of dough wasn’t as much as I could’ve used in giving the sides good height, but I still made sure to make the sides as even as possible.

Once I started placing the filling in the pan, I decided to only use about three-fourths of it, otherwise I would not be able to connect the top layer of dough to the sides. I was proud of myself for making this call on my own; sometimes when you are making these types of structured desserts, you have to know when something is about to go wrong, even though the directions are saying otherwise. Not everything goes as accurately as a recipe says it will, but it just takes time to gain the baking confidence to know when you need to adjust.

After I assembled the top layer of dough over the filling, I connected the sides together, cut some slits in the center and doused the top with egg wash.

I put the pie in the oven and returned after about an hour and 10 minutes—and that’s when I realized I never turned the oven down from 425° to 350°! The pie was a rich golden brown, but I could also sense how solid it was when I literally knocked on the top. However, it didn’t seem burned, and honestly, that’s enough for me to decide I’ll just go with it.

I let it cool for about 2.5 hours before taking it out of the springform pan, and it came out effortlessly. The sides were perfect! So, turns out you can get away with cooking it at a higher temperature; I would imagine, however, cooking it this high likely took out some moisture from the ricotta mixture. Either way, the slices turned out gorgeous, and it was absolutely delicious. I could see where the anchovies would have been a good addition with bringing in some more sodium, but I loved the dough with the olives and broccoli. You will not be able to eat just one bite of this dessert; this would be great for a brunch or appetizer. The flaky dough warms your soul while the ricotta filling puts you in the mood for a glass of wine or a martini. My family tried this one out as well and really enjoyed it. It may sound strange at first to combine olives and broccoli, but trust me, it works!

Claire has not yet posted a YouTube video of this savory dessert, but I’ll share it when she does!