Watercress and Ricotta Torte

Make brunch more magical with a mountain of peppery greens.

Serves
6-8
Time
1 hour 15 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAOLA + MURRAY; FOOD STYLING BY JASON SCHREIBER; PROP STYLING BY CARLA GONZALEZ-HART

Updated on May 26, 2022

Montreal chef Frédéric Morin grows his own watercress for this frittata-like tart that's packed with the grassy, spicy greens and plenty of cheese.

Featured in ”10 Ingredients We're Obsessed With.”

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing
Kosher salt
3 lb. watercress, cleaned, tough stems removed
3¼ cups ricotta
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs plus 4 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

Step 2

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. In a pot of salted water, boil the watercress until tender and bright green, 1–2 minutes. Drain, then transfer to the ice water to chill, 1–2 minutes. Drain again, squeezing out as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, ¼ cup of the Parmigiano, the nutmeg, eggs, yolks, lemon zest, cooked watercress, and salt and black pepper to taste. Scrape into the springform pan, then use a silicone spatula to smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and bake until nearly set (the center should jiggle slightly when shaken), about 45 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until the top is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. In a pot of salted water, boil the watercress until tender and bright green, 1–2 minutes. Drain, then transfer to the ice water to chill, 1–2 minutes. Drain again, squeezing out as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop.
In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, ¼ cup of the Parmigiano, the nutmeg, eggs, yolks, lemon zest, cooked watercress, and salt and black pepper to taste. Scrape into the springform pan, then use a silicone spatula to smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and bake until nearly set (the center should jiggle slightly when shaken), about 45 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until the top is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.