Rocket (arugula) and taleggio pie

A recipe from Vegetables from an Italian Garden

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 1 hour plus 1 hour resting

Serves: 6 people

Ingredients:

200 g (7 oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 tablespoon chopped marjoram

100 g (3½ oz) butter, chilled and diced, plus extra for greasing

For the filling:

200 g (7 oz) rocket

300 g (11 oz) cream cheese

200 g (7 oz) Taleggio cheese, diced

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

2 eggs

salt and pepper

Method:

Sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a mound on a work surface, sprinkle with the poppy seeds and marjoram and rub in the butter with your fingertips. Add enough cold water to make a soft pastry, then shape into a ball, cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°c/350°f/Gas Mark 4.

Grease a 20-cm/8-inch tart or quiche tin with butter.

Parboil the rocket for a few minutes in salted water, then drain, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Put the rocket in a food processor with both cheeses, the breadcrumbs and eggs. Process at low speed, then season with salt and pepper.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, and line the prepared tin. Trim the edges and reserve the trimmings. Fill with the rocket and cheese mixture. Roll out the trimmings, cut into thin strips, brush the ends with water and arrange in a lattice over the top of the pie.

Bake for about 40 minutes.