Savoury Easter Pie called Torta Pasqualina/Ricotta Spinach Pie 🥧

Love What UEAT
Mar 22
4 min read

Updated: Apr 21

Appetizers & Snacks#recipe #Easterpie #Easter #tortapasqualina #Pasqua #ricottaspinachpie

Torta Pasqualina is a vegetarian savoury pie made with few ingredients enclosed in between two thin layers of pizza dough, filled with a delicious ricotta & spinach mixture.

As you may have figured out by the name of this pie, this is typically an Easter recipe.

“La torta Pasqualina” is a traditional pie that cannot be missing from the Easter menus.

The secret to getting the eggs visible when slicing into the pie, is to make small “nest like” indentations in the filling, in which to place the raw eggs.

This pie is perfect for the Easter table and to take along on the Easter Monday picnics. Easter Monday picnics are very popular in Italy 🇮🇹! Easter Monday is called Pasquetta in Italian. You can prepare this pie well in advance & tastes better the following days !

INGREDIENTS: PIZZA DOUGH

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour

8 ozs. (235 ml) warm water

3 tbsp. (45 ml) olive oil (plus extra to brush the top of the pie)

1 tbsp. (8 g) dry active yeast

1 tsp. (5 g) salt

FILLING:

2 cups (500 g) fresh ricotta

20 ozs. (approx. 600 g) spinach (or Swiss chard or kale)

1 1/2 cups (170 g) grated cheese (we used Parmigiano Reggiano)

5 eggs (room temperature)

Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Oven temperature: 400F (200C)

Baking time: 60-70 minutes

1) Generously grease a 9” (23 cm) baking pan with vegetable shortening. Set aside.

2) Add the yeast into a glass measuring cup. Pour in the warm water & olive oil. Give it a light whisk. Cover with a small dish (this will keep the water from getting cold). Set aside till the yeast blooms (about 5 minutes).

3) Using a stand mixer with a hook attachment, add the flour & salt in the bowl. On the lowest setting, mix the flour & salt. Now slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Incorporate well. Scrap the sides if needed.

4) Once fully incorporated, increase speed to 5/6 (medium high) & mix for an additional 3-4 minutes OR till the dough is completely collected around the hook of the paddle.

5) Place the dough into a lightly oiled large glass bowl. Make sure to coat the entire ball of dough with a light coating of oil, by rolling it in the bowl. This will help the dough to rise and not stick to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, topped with a clean dish towel. Place the bowl in the warmest spot of your house. Let rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

IN THE MEANTIME: LET’S PREPARE THE FILLING

1) Wash & steam the spinach. Once completely wilted, place the spinach in a colander. Let drain & cool 10 minutes before transferring the spinach into a cheesecloth. Twist and turn the cheesecloth & squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Set aside.

2) In a large mixing bowl, add the ricotta, grated cheese, salt, pepper and one egg. Add the spinach. Using kitchen shears, cut the spinach in small pieces (or you can chop the spinach on a cutting board). Mix well. Place in the refrigerator till ready to assemble.

TIME TO ASSEMBLE THE PIE:

1)Cut the dough into 2 pieces. One piece 2/3 of the dough for the bottom & sides of the baking pan. The other piece 1/3 for the top layer.

2) Place the bigger piece in the baking pan. Using your hands, evenly spread out the dough at the bottom & the sides, making sure that some of the dough overlaps the baking pan.

3) Pour in the ricotta & spinach mixture. Spread it out evenly. Make 4 “nest like” indentations. We used the bottom of a measuring cup or you can use the back of a spoon. Be careful not to make the indentations too deep. You do not want to pierce the bottom of the dough. Crack an egg into each nest.

4) Roll out the top part of the dough. Cover the filling. Firmly press the edges together. Brush with olive oil. Make a few piercings for the steam to escape. Be careful not to pierce the eggs… LOL 😂

5) Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven for 60-70 minutes, or until the bottom and the top of the pie is golden brown.

6) Let cool 10 minutes in the baking pan before transferring the pie on a wired rack for complete cooling. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be made 1-2 days in advance.