Spinach, vlita and ricotta loaf

This is one of the first recipes that my mother-in-law gave me soon after I married Fabio. A classic Ligurian recipe.  It is so easy to make, delicious and the spinach can be substituted for any other vegetable such as artichokes, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots or anything else really!

The odd ingredient in all of this that isn’t very Italian is the vlita.

Vlita is known as amaranth and you find it in summer from Greek fruit and vegetable stores and farmers markets. I found this beautiful bunch in Oakleigh market yesterday and couldn’t resist buying it. It has a stronger taste than spinach and slightly bitter – it is seriously delicious just boiled until the stems are cooked through, with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt. Yum. Today, however, I am mixing it with some very fresh spinach to make a polpettone.  If you can’t find vlita, just replace it with another bunch of spinach. Easy!

Instead of boiling the greens, I cook them in a frypan until they are wilted – no oil added – just with the traces of water that were left after being washed thoroughly. This way, I keep in all of the goodness (rather than losing it in the boiling water) and the moisture from the greens disappears.

RECIPE

• 1 bunch of spinach, trimmed and washed very well
• 1 bunch of vlita, trimmed and washed very well
• 300g ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 40g parmigiano reggiano, grated
• grated nutmeg
• salt
• pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan-forced).

Cook the spinach and vlita in a frypan until it is wilted. Set aside to cool. In a food processor add the cooled greens, ricotta, eggs, parmigiano reggiano, grated nutmeg and pepper. Blend until well combined. Season to taste.

Line the base of a springform pan and oil lightly. Pour the mixture into the pan, smooth and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top. Cook the polpettone until it is golden and slightly firm in the middle. Test with a skewer.

Buon appetito!