Ingredients

• 1 cup basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup baguette crumbs
• 6 pounds thawed frozen spinach, wrung of any excess moisture
• 3 cups heavy cream
• Pinch nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. First, make the pistou by whirling together the basil, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor. Then add the butter, and pulse. Turn out the mixture into a bowl and add the Parmesan and baguette crumbs Rub together.
3. In a saucepan, mix together the spinach, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium heat until just hot through, stirring often to prevent the cream from burning. Taste to be sure the mixture is adequately seasoned.
4. Butter two round cake pans, and sit them on a baking sheet. Divide the spinach in half between them, and then top each pan with half the pistou-crumb mixture.
5. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes at 375°F, then raise the heat to 425 and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until the cream is bubbling, and the crumbs are golden.