Rustic Chicken Ricotta and Herb Pie (Printable Version)

Comforting golden pie with tender chicken, creamy ricotta, and fresh herbs in flaky pastry.

# What You Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1.3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
11 - 9 oz ricotta cheese
12 - 3.5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
13 - Zest of 1 lemon
14 - 1 egg, lightly beaten

→ Pastry

15 - 2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry (approximately 11 oz each)
16 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 390°F. Line a 9-inch pie dish with baking paper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes.
03 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in diced chicken, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Stir in parsley, basil, ricotta, spinach, lemon zest, and the beaten egg. Mix until well combined. Allow filling to cool for 10 minutes.
05 - Fit one sheet of puff pastry into the prepared pie dish, gently pressing into the sides. Trim excess if needed.
06 - Spoon the chicken ricotta filling evenly into the pastry shell.
07 - Cover with the second sheet of puff pastry. Trim and crimp the edges to seal. Cut a few small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
08 - Brush the surface with beaten egg.
09 - Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
10 - Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The ricotta keeps the filling incredibly moist while the herbs make every bite sing
  • It looks like you spent hours on it but comes together faster than you would expect
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, if there are any
02 -
  • Let the filling cool completely before assembling, otherwise the pastry will become soggy before it even hits the oven
  • The pie is done when the underside is golden too, so carefully lift the edge with a spatula to check
  • Do not skip the resting time or the filling will ooze out when you slice it
03 -
  • Grate a little Parmesan over the filling before adding the top pastry for an extra savory layer
  • If the edges brown too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking
  • The filling works beautifully in individual hand pies if you want to impress guests even more

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