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4.8 from 12 votes

Torta Pasqualina

Torta Pasqualina is a traditional Ligurian Easter pie made with greens, ricotta, egg, and cheese. It's super easy and delicious and the perfect way to celebrate Easter.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 465 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs Ready rolled puff pastry (750g)
  • 14 oz baby spinach (400g)
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups ricotta (500g)
  • 1 cup parmigiano reggiano or pecorino cheese freshly grated (40g)
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • butter for greasing

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Grease a 9 inch pie dish and set aside. Remove the pastry from the fridge.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, saute it for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant then add the spinach. Saute the spinach, stirring often until just wilted and no more. Transfer the cooked spinach and onion to a wooden cutting board or bowl and let it cool.
  4. Once cooled roughly chop the spinach mixture into small pieces. Put it in large mixing bowl with the ricotta (500g/2 cups), 1 large egg, parmesan cheese (1 cup), pinch of nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
  6. Cover the bottom and sides of your pie dish with one sheet of puff pastry. Trim the edges and fill in the gaps if any.
  7. Add the filling to the pie and spread out evenly. Create four deep wells in the filling to hold the eggs. Crack the raw eggs into the well and sprinkle each with a tiny amount of salt.
  8. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top making sure it’s directly on top of the filling. Fold the edges over to seal the pie.
  9. Brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg then make a small cut in the middle of the pie with a sharp knife so steam can escape.
  10. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes then let cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • shortcrust pastry
  • Pastry - ready-rolled puff pastry makes this pie super easy to make but you can make your own or use another pastry like shortcrust pastry (pie crust).
  • Make wells for the eggs - it's important to make wells deep enough in the filling to hold the eggs, if they are too shallow the egg will spill over onto the top.
  • Greens to use - you can use pretty much any greens you like for the filling. Chicory and Chard are commonly used along with spinach. Choose a mix or whatever you like.
  • Wilting the greens - make sure you remove the spinach or whatever greens you are using as soon as they have wilted or too much water will be released. If this has happened you'll need to squeeze some water out so the filling isn't too wet.
  • Decorate it - if you want to impress you can decorate the top of your pie with Easter designs made out of leftover pastry (cookie cutters are great for this). Make sure to brush them with a beaten egg before baking.

Nutrition Information

Calories 465kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 15g (30%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 95mg (32%) Sodium 362mg (15%) Potassium 311mg (9%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 3449IU (69%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 235mg (24%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 465

% Daily Value*

Calories 465kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 15g 30%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 362mg 15%
Potassium 311mg 7%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 3449IU 69%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 235mg 24%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.