Zucchini & Ricotta Pie Recipe

This recipe treats zucchini like the fruit that it is. Thin slices of zucchini are layered with tomatoes and ricotta. You can swap in your favorite cheese and herbs to make it your own.

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 recipe Perfect Pie Crust
• 24 oz zucchini
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 6 slices bacon (chopped into 1/2" pieces)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 cup basil leaves (minced)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated P)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Roll the pie dough and line a 9" pie pan, flute the edges with your fingers or a fork. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the pie shell 10-12 times. Allow the pie shell to rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the zucchini
2. 2Trim the ends from 24 oz zucchini and cut into 1/8" thin slices. Toss the zucchini slices with 1 teaspoon table salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain the zucchini and line in single layers on paper towels to blot the excess moisture.
3. 3Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator. Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Press the beans or pie weights all the way across the pan to ensure the sides of the shell won't slip as it bakes. Bake the pie shell until it's very pale beige.
4. 4While the pie shell is baking, cook 6 slices bacon until crispy and drain on a paper towel. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan. Saute 1 large onion, chopped with until soft and just beginning to brown. Add 3 cloves garlic (minced) and 2 cups chopped tomatoes to the onions and cook until it's the consistency of a thick sauce. Adjust seasoning of the sauce to taste.
5. 5Combine 8 oz ricotta cheese, 1 cup basil leaves and half the Parmesan. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 egg to the ricotta mix
6. 6Sprinkle half of the bread crumbs across the bottom of the pie shell.
7. 7Place 1/4 of the zucchini slices into the pie shell. Spread about 1/3 of the ricotta cheese over the zucchini. Spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce over the ricotta and sprinkle 1/3 of the bacon bits over the tomato sauce.
8. 8Continue layering the zucchini, ricotta, tomato sauce and bacon, ending with a layer of zucchini.
9. 9Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle evenly over the top of the pie.
10. 10Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours until the top of the pie is browned and the juices are bubbling in the middle of the pie.
11. 11Cool for at least one hour before slicing so the juices can reabsorb.
12. 12Serve warm or at room temperature. Left overs are nice slightly chilled.