Ingredients
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1 tablespoon (13.5 g) olive oil, divided
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1 small onion (about 110 g), finely diced
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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10 oz (284 g) baby spinach (about 10 loosely packed cups); frozen works, see Make It Yours
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12 large eggs
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1 cup (245 g) canned pumpkin purée (100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
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1 1/2 cups (370 g) part-skim ricotta
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1/2 cup (40 g) finely grated parmesan, divided
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus 6 small whole leaves for the top
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1/2 teaspoon fine salt
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Allergens Contains: Eggs, milk (ricotta, parmesan).
Instructions
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1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with about 1 teaspoon of the oil.
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2
Warm the rest of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the spinach by the handful and toss 3 to 4 minutes, until fully wilted and the pan liquid has mostly cooked off. Tip it into a sieve and press out the remaining water with a spoon; a wet filling makes a soggy bake.
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3
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, ricotta, half the parmesan, chopped sage, salt, pepper and nutmeg until the mixture is an even orange with only small ricotta curds left.
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4
Fold in the spinach, pour into the dish and level it. Scatter the remaining parmesan over the top and press the whole sage leaves lightly onto the surface. Bake 32 to 38 minutes, until the center no longer jiggles when you nudge the dish, a knife comes out clean (160°F), and the edges are lightly golden and pulling from the sides.
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5
Cool 10 minutes before cutting into 6 squares; the bake firms as it cools and slices cleanly. Taste a corner and finish each square with a grind of pepper if it needs it.
Meal Prep Tip
Wrap cooled squares individually and refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat 60 to 90 seconds at 50% power; full power turns the edges rubbery before the middle is warm.
Storage & Food Safety
Bake until the center reaches 160°F and a knife comes out clean. Refrigerate at 40°F or below within 2 hours of baking (1 hour above 90°F) and eat within 4 days; reheat to 165°F. Thaw frozen squares overnight in the fridge. Soft and nut-free, it suits young children cut into small pieces.
Make It Yours
Dairy-free
Replace the ricotta with 12 oz (340 g) firm silken tofu blended smooth, and skip the parmesan. Protein drops to about 19 g a serving and calories by about 75; taste for salt, since the parmesan was supplying some.
Vegetarian
Traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano is made with animal rennet. Use a vegetarian hard cheese, such as BelGioioso Vegetarian Parmesan; the nutrition is about the same.
Budget or pantry-only
Use 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry, and skip the skillet step for it. Costs less and changes the numbers very little.
If you don't like spinach
Swap in 8 oz (227 g) chopped kale, stems removed, and cook it 2 minutes longer. Net carbs barely change and the bake gets a little more chew.
Lower-sodium
Leave out the added salt and add an extra pinch of nutmeg and pepper. Saves about 190 mg per square, to roughly 350 mg.
Heartier
Serve a square with a slice of whole grain toast. Adds about 90 calories and 12 g net carbs, to roughly 20 g, which is above our low-carb target but fine for a complex-carb day.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 of 6 squares, about 280 g by raw batch weight) — estimate.
Calories
310
Net Carbs
8g
Total Carbs
11g
Fiber
3g
Total Sugars
3g
Added Sugars
0g
Protein
24g
Fat
19g
Saturated Fat
8g
Sodium
550mg
Nutrition pending review by our registered dietitian — estimate only. Not medical advice.
Keywords
BreakfastHigh ProteinMake-aheadPumpkinBakedLow-Carb
