The Mini Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Easter Pies are a simplified and “mini” version of the more complex Ligurian Easter pie.
The Easter pie is a savory pie made with a base of crazy dough, filled with Swiss chard, cheese, and eggs.
It has ancient origins, dating back to the period of Genoese domination over the surrounding lands, but the modern recipe has been consolidated over the centuries.
Its preparation sinks into the peasant tradition, when families made this pie to celebrate Easter, taking advantage of the seasonal availability of fresh herbs and eggs.
The tradition of the Easter pie derives from a long Christian custom that involved the preparation of abundant and symbolic dishes on the occasion of Easter, with the filling recalling themes of rebirth and nature awakening.
The eggs inside the pie are not just an ingredient, but also a symbol of new life.
In the 1800s, the recipe called for 27 sheets: 10 bottom sheets and 17 top sheets. On the first sheet a little oil is brushed on and another sheet is spread, and so on for all of them, one on top of the other.
The version with 33 layers of dough is often associated with a legend referring to the 33 years of Jesus Christ’s life, thus giving the pie a strong symbolic value.
With the help of a spoon, some hollows are made into which some whole eggs are inserted, which will become hard-boiled with the pie’s cooking. A little salt and pepper can be added on each egg.
Traditionally, the Easter one is the richest, prepared with an abundant filling of greens, cheese, originally prescinseua, and eggs, but today it can be found in different variants.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, All seasons
Ingredients for Mini Gluten-Free Easter Pies:
- 2 rolls gluten-free puff pastry
- 7 oz lactose-free ricotta
- 7 oz Swiss chard
- 3 eggs
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1.4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 green onion
- to taste marjoram
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Muffin Tin
Steps
Wash and boil the greens in salted boiling water for 5-7 minutes. Drain well and let cool. Then, squeeze well to remove excess water and chop finely.
If you want to make gluten-free crazy dough, find the recipe on the blog.
Filling preparation:
– In a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil, sauté the greens with the green part of the green onion, add two beaten eggs and mix them with the filling, add the grated cheese, salt, and fresh chopped marjoram.
Preparing the mold:
– Take a muffin tin and brush it with a little extra virgin olive oil to prevent the puff pastry from sticking.
Roll out the puff pastry:
– Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into squares and circles large enough to line each mold. Press the dough well on the bottom and along the edges of the molds.
Filling:
– Fill each muffin with the greens filling, make a hollow where you insert half a hard-boiled egg, adding salt and pepper on top, add a tablespoon of ricotta and cover with more puff pastry.
– Brush the surface of the mini Easter pies with beaten egg.
Baking:
– Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 20-25 minutes, or until the mini pies are golden and crispy.
– Let the mini gluten-free Easter pies cool slightly before serving.
I made the recipe during a TikTok live with my food blogger colleague Paola from the blog Polemica in Cucina, who prepared a savory pie very similar to the Ligurian Easter pie, the recipe of which you can find on her blog: Swiss Chard and Ricotta Pie .
