Makes 6 servings
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh spinach, washed, dried, and trimmed, if necessary
4 fresh eggs
¾ cup milk or half-and-half
¾ cup Romano cheese
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Grating of nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a 1½-quart baking dish.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add the spinach in batches, stirring occasionally, until the spinach cooks down. Add more spinach when the previous batch cooks down. When all the spinach has softened and cooked down, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until blended. Stir in the milk. Add the spinach mixture, cheese, crushed red pepper, and salt and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle grated nutmeg over the top. Put the baking dish into a 9 x 13-inch pan and place on the oven rack. Carefully pour very hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the baking dish.
Bake until the custard is set, about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the custard comes out clean. Let the baking dish cool enough to handle before removing from the water bath.
To serve, cut the custard into squares or scoop out with a spoon and serve immediately.
"Two pounds of spinach looks like a mountain, but as it cooks down and releases its water, you’ll wonder where it went. To achieve a perfect finish on this egg-rich dish, it’s necessary and worth the effort to use a
bain marie, a technique that surrounds the delicate contents of the baking dish with hot water to gently cook the custard to perfection."
