, and for Ligurians Fred says it has the particular association of being the food that is packed to take along for hikes and country outings. Okay, fine; but I think it's a great main course for a Meatless Monday. Like all other hot dishes involving mashed potatoes, I found this held it's shape best when cooked, cooled, then reheated. It's also just great at room temperature--on a hot summer day, no need to eat hot food. Makes one 12-inch tart
1 1/4 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled, cut into pieces
3/4 pound string beans, preferably slender
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian (flat) parsley, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, torn into small pieces
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup ricotta
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup fine unflavored bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set two pots of water to boil. Add a little salt to one of them. Then add the potatoes to that pot, cook for about 20 minutes, drain, and mash. In the other pot, cook the string beans for 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and then chop them coarsely. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add the string beans, parsley and oregano. Cook until all of the flavors have combined, about two minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Once the beans and the potatoes have cooled, combine them in a bowl.
Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, prescinseua (or ricotta), salt, and pepper, and combine the ingredients well. Fred reccomends a greased 12-inch round glass ovenproof baking dish with a little olive oil, but I used a 10" spring form pan. Sprinkle in some bread crumbs, but not too many (perhaps one-quarter of the total amount). Then spoon in the string bean mixture and smooth the top with a spatula. If you wish, you can score the top to form a pattern ñ Ligurians typically create diamonds. Top evenly with the rest of the bread crumbs. Bake for about 45 minutes and serve hot, warm, or cool.
