Today a savory recipe: Torta Pasqualina (savory pie with ricotta and spinach).
A classic for Easter celebrations, perfect as an appetizer on Easter Day, essential in the picnic basket for Easter Monday and, for me, great on any occasion because the ricotta and spinach combination is delicious.
Torta Pasqualina was born as a savory pie typical of Liguria but has become known throughout Italy and is a symbol of this celebration on our tables along with the tortano napoletano, casatiello, pizza di formaggio or the Abruzzese Easter bread.
A crisp pastry shell encloses a moist and flavorful filling that will win you over at the first bite and, I assure you, you’ll find it hard to resist. For the outer pastry you can also use shortcrust pastry or puff pastry.
Let’s see step by step how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 1 9.5 in pan
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, All seasons
Ingredients for Torta Pasqualina
- 3 1/4 cups type 00 wheat flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.5 lbs spinach, cooked, boiled
- 2 cups ricotta
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano (Parmesan)
- 5 eggs
- 1 onion (small)
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- as needed olive oil
- as needed salt
Tools
- 1 Bilancia
- 1 Spianatoia
- 1 Mattarello
- 1 Padella
- 1 Stampo 9.5 in
Let’s make Torta Pasqualina together!
On a work surface pour the flour and form a well; in the center pour the water, the oil and the salt. Mix first with a fork and, when the liquids are absorbed, begin kneading with your hands until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough. Cover with a small bowl or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for about an hour.
While the dough rests, let’s prepare the filling. In a nonstick pan put a drizzle of olive oil and half a finely chopped onion, let it warm slightly and add the boiled spinach (frozen spinach also works) well drained. Sauté the greens in the pan to flavor them.
In a bowl place the sautéed spinach left to cool a little and roughly chop them with scissors; then add the well-drained ricotta, one whole egg, half of the grated Parmigiano, salt and a grating of nutmeg. Mix to obtain a homogeneous mixture and to combine the ingredients well.
Take the dough after it has rested and divide it into four equal parts. Roll one ball as thinly as possible, take the 9.5 in pan and lightly oil it, then cover it with the rolled-out dough. Set aside and roll another ball of dough, also as thin as possible, brush the first layer with olive oil and place the second layer on top making sure they adhere well.
Take the filling and pour it into the pan lined with the two layers of dough, level the spinach with a spoon and make four hollows where you put one cracked egg in each. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano. (In my photo you see only two eggs because I made a smaller one).
Take the other two balls of dough and roll them very thin one at a time as well. Cover the Torta Pasqualina with one layer, brush with olive oil and cover with the other layer. If there is too much excess dough trim the edges leaving enough to seal by forming a cord, then brush again with olive oil.
Una Riccia recommends
Torta Pasqualina (savory pie with ricotta and spinach) keeps well in the fridge for two to three days if stored in an airtight container.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which herbs or greens can be used to make Torta Pasqualina?
Pasqualina pie is usually prepared with Swiss chard or spinach.
What can I use for the outer pastry of Torta Pasqualina?
If you don’t want to use homemade pastry as described in the recipe, you can use ready-made shortcrust dough or even puff pastry.
