Bake for St Patrick’s Day!

by Grazia Barletta · Published March 17, 2022 · Updated July 4, 2022

Every month Grazia Barletta prepares a recipe inspired by saints in her Cape Town kitchen, and shares it with our readers in text and photos taken exclusively for The Southern Cross by the chef herself.

St Patrick’s Spinach Tarts

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death. St Patrick, who lived during the 5th century, is one of Ireland’s three patron saints and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped but returned to Ireland to bring Christianity to its people.

In the centuries following Patrick’s death, the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in Irish culture: Perhaps the most well-known legend is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.

His feast is a holy day of obligation for Catholics in Ireland as well as a public holiday — and a day of celebration throughout the Irish diaspora. Religious symbols include serpents — according to legend, he drove all snakes out of Ireland — as well as the Celtic cross. Some say that St Patrick added the sun, a powerful Irish symbol, to the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross.

On St Patrick’s Day, it’s customary to wear green clothing or accessories. And we keep it emerald in this month’s recipe for a naturally green tart, seasoned with freshly grated Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese and a crisp fresh onion. It’s a delicious way to load up on your greens, and a lot of protein, too. This simple and simply delicious recipe can be served as an anytime-of-day meal.

Preparation: 30 min • Baking: 35-40 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

620g baby spinach • 1 medium white onion, chopped • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • 280g ricotta cheese
20Og freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese • ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper • ¼ tsp grated nutmeg • Extra cheese for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a large mixing bowl combine the chopped onion, eggs, ricotta cheese, grated cheese, pepper and nutmeg. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
Steam the spinach until it’s wilted. Drain it well and then press with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can. Rough-chop the spinach and add it to the cheese-and-egg mixture. Fold all together until combined.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Place six little tart pans (with removable bottom) on the baking sheet and fill with the spinach and cheese mixture, smoothing to level the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until just set in the centre and lightly brown on the edges.
Remove from the oven and let tarts cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pans. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with additional grated cheese, if desired. This recipe can easily be halved.
Enjoy with the prayer to St Patrick!

Grazia Barletta is an author, book designer, and food photographer & stylist. She can be contacted at

Follow her blog at www.momentswithgrazia.com and connect with Grazia on Facebook/Instagram: momentswithgrazia

This recipe was published in the March 2022 issue of The Southern Cross magazine