Carbonara Quiche

This is one of those ideas that I feel like came to me in a fever dream but alas, here we are. With a delicious, cheesy, flavorful, flaky……….QUICHE WITH CARBONARA FILLING. My two favorite P words (Pie and Pasta) combined into one magical dish. I’m obsessed with this and hope you will be too!

what you need:

• 1 Perfect Flaky Pie Crust, par-baked you can totally use a store bought crust if you want, just follow the instructions on the package for partial baking
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz diced pancetta or bacon
• 1 cup spinach
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup FINELY grated parmesan cheese, the kind that looks like powder!
• 1/2 cup grated gruyere or mozzarella cheese
• Mixed greens, for topping

what you need to do:

• Prepare your crust as instructed and par-bake. Let the crust cool.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cooled crust on a cookie sheet and set aside.
• In a nonstick skillet, add the olive oil and once it is warm, add the pancetta or bacon. Cook until it is crispy and the fat has rendered off. Remove from the heat, add in the spinach, and stir until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• In a blender, add your eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Blend (using stir or mix settings) for about 15 seconds, then stir with a spoon, and blend again for another 10 seconds. I like to prepare my filling in the blender because it helps to make sure the eggs are fully broken up and don’t come out scrambled, plus this whips the heavy cream a bit, which helps with a nice fluffy filling.
• Pour the egg mixture into a large bowl, and then add in the gruyere or mozzarella and the cooled spinach/pancetta mixture. Stir very gently to combine, and then pour the filling into the cooled pie crust.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over the top in an even layer, and then place in the preheated oven.
• Bake for 30 minutes, and then check the status by gently nudging the pie plate and seeing if the center moves. If the center is not set, continue baking for another 10 or so minutes. You want the top to be golden brown, and the center to be set. I typically bake mine for about 42-45 minutes total.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting it. You want it to set up and it does so by cooling.
• Gently cut into slices, and top with some mixed greens! I toss my mixed greens in some lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper before placing on the top.
• Store in the fridge and this is best reheated in the oven.