Bottomless Pie

It being so cold out, Ashley and I have been going heavy on the hearty: hearty soups, hearty sandwiches, hearty pasta. So when it became my turn to concoct our next pie creation, I decided to keep with the theme, and whip up a pie that would stick to our ribs. To give myself a challenge however, I was determined to whip up a pie that was warming, gooey, and satiating on the inside, but wasn't covered in grease, and still maintained the crunchy integrity of the crust. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Spinach Béchamel Pie with Artichokes.

The béchamel sauce mixed with garlic sautéed spinach, and a generous handful of grated pecorino, makes a great base for the artichoke hearts (crisped up nicely in a skillet), mushrooms, and of course some nice chunks of mozzarella. It's gooey, it's warming, it tastes like salt and cheese and cream, yet the spinach and the artichokes keep everything balanced and interesting, and help you to get through more then just a few bites before the cheese makes you cry "uncle!" Damn good winter eatin' for sure.

Spinach Bechamel Pie

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flour
3/4 c grated pecorino
1 c milk
2 cloves garlic
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
4 oz fresh mozzarella
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 c chopped shitake mushrooms
1 dough
salt and pepper to taste

For the Béchamel, dice garlic, sauté in pan with 1 tbsp olive oil until fragrant. Add the spinach, and sauté until it wilts and turns bright green (about 5 min). Remove from heat, set aside. In a fresh skillet over medium-low, add 1 tbsp olive oil. When hot, whisk in the flour little by little until it thickens. Remove from heat, whisk in the milk little by little, until smooth.  Return to heat, whisk as it cooks (it will get thicker and thicker). Add pecorino after about 3 min, whisking until incorporated, and smooth. Remove from heat, stir in spinach.

For pizza, preheat oven to 500 (or higher if you can), roll out dough. Top with thinnish layer of béchamel, sautéed Artichoke hearts, sautéed mushrooms, and mozzarella, bake until golden brown. Salt and pepper to taste.

Damn!