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3/10/11

Bacon & Spinach Tart from Nick Malgieri's bake!

This past weekend my friend Laetitia invited me to her condo for a Rose wine tasting. Of course I said yes. But then I began feeling under the weather, not to mention that Sunday, the day of the tasting, was a non-stop rainy day. It reminded me of Seattle. I could barely see anything out of my window.


But I was looking forward to learning more about Rose  wines, hanging out with friends and baking. Yes, I decided  to bake something for this get together. But what? Luckily, I had Nick Malgieri's Bake! book to consult. I received this book from his PR people a while ago and have admired the gorgeous photographs and mouth watering recipes, but haven't put the book to use yet.

Flipping through the book, I settled on the Spinach & Bacon Tart recipe. Unless you are a vegan, or vegetarian, or keep Kosher, how can you resist a combination of bacon, eggs, cream, cheese and spinach? Exactly!

I did not have the time or desire to make my own crust, and also changed a few steps and ingredients in the original recipe. What follows is my adaptation of Nick's recipe.


{Side Note: I've met Nick several times when I worked as an assistant at the Sur La Table's Culinary Program. Let me just tell you, the way this man ices a cake is MAGIC.}

Bacon & Spinach Tart adapted from Nick Malgieri's bake!
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
4 bacon slices, diced
1 onion, diced
salt & pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
10 ounces of frozen spinach defrosted and pressed (so that there is no water in it)
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons pesto
1 1/2 cups light cream
3 eggs
1 pie crust

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Heat a large skillet and add your bacon. Cook the bacon for about 2 minutes.
3. Add an onion, season with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute for about 10 minutes.
4. Add spinach and cook for a few minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool slightly.


5. Add Cheddar and pesto. Mix.


6. Pour in the light cream. {Do you like my action shot?}


7. Incorporate all ingredients together.


8. Whisk in 3 eggs and pour the whole concoction into a pie dish "lined" with a pie crust. {I used a bit of oil spray to make sure the crust will not stick to the dish.}


9. Bake the tart for about 35-40 minutes.


The tart was a big success! You can eat it almost immediately or wait until it reaches room temperature. Sorry I don't have any photos of the tart sliced.


You can give this tart your own spin: add whatever vegetables you like, take out the bacon and add ham or chicken, use another kind of cheese, and/or add nutmeg as Nick recommended.


This is a great dish to serve at brunch and is great for breakfast the next day.

What's your favorite activity on a rainy day? {Let's keep it clean, people! :)}

18 comments:

RecipeGirl said...

Love to bake on a rainy day! And snuggle on the couch & watch trashy Lifetime Television movies!

Your tart is gorgeous!

Erin A. said...

That my friend, looks AMAZING. I do believe I must try that!

sheila @ Elements said...

Looks absolutely fantastic!! It's definitely my kind of meal!! :)

Unknown said...

Looks oh so delicious! Would be awesome with Gruyere or Swiss or Goat. Perfect for brunch with some mimosas - hint hint. Nice job on the action shot :)

1000+1 said...

this is one great looking tart!! look at those colors! i like to bake (and eat baked goods) on a rainy day. but sometimes when it rains for too long, i have to find something else to do, usually it involves cleaning/ravaging closets :)
the action shot is 10 out of 10!

TheBasilBee said...

love your blog and this looks amazing! your photographs are beautiful!

Delicious Dishings said...

How can I resist? I cannot! Looks amazing. I like to curl up with a good book or watch a movie on a rainy day... so cliche... but it's the best. Either that or I bake things.

Esi said...

Yes please, plus extra servings!

Anna C said...

This is making me long for quiche which I haven't made in ages! You are so right, it's impossible to resist the spinach, bacon, and cheese combination. Looks absolutely delicious.

Simones Kitchen said...

Ah what better thing to do then to bake on a rainy day. Hope you feel better now and yes, I love that action shot!! Looks like a delicious tart!

K said...

Looks great!

Unknown said...

You did an amazing job recreating that tart. It looks fabulous!
I'm doing a give away on my blog for $80 Amazon gift card :), do stop over and enter!
*kisses* HH

sue @ Justforlicks said...

THAT is what I want for lunch! I seriously wish I had the ingredients for this right now. I would up and make it. Another day for sure. :)

Lighthousegal said...

Rainy Days are all about Cooking and Movies or TV.

The Teenage Taste said...

Ohmygoodness! This looks delicious! My favorite things to do on a rainy day are cooking, baking, watching movies, and cleaning. Well, cleaning isn't a favorite, but it's something I usually end up doing. ;)

Lael Hazan @educatedpalate said...

Nick is a magical baker and Yes, I LOVED your action shot. I really need a day with someone who can slowly walk me through the camera. What a fabulous dish for a rainy day.

Anonymous said...

Dishes like these are the reason I don't understand vegans...

The Duo Dishes said...

It all looks so good. So, so, so, so good.