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Torta Pasqualina is the iconic Easter pie of Genoa and Liguria, a dish of extraordinary precision and beauty whose name translates simply as Easter cake. The traditional version wraps a deep filling of spinach, ricotta, and Parmesan in many layers of paper-thin olive oil pastry - the number of layers was once said to symbolise the 33 years of Christ's life. Most remarkable is the technique of nestling whole raw eggs into wells in the filling before baking: the eggs set perfectly inside the pie as it bakes, so that when each slice is cut, a beautiful whole egg cross-section is revealed. Rich, aromatic, and deeply satisfying, torta Pasqualina is eaten on Easter Sunday as part of the traditional Ligurian cold lunch and is equally wonderful at room temperature for a picnic.
Prep
60 min
Cook
50 min
Total
110 min
Servings
8 srv
Difficulty
Hard
Calories
380 kcal
For 8 serving(s)
Per serving
Make the pastry: combine the flour with a pinch of salt, olive oil, and enough warm water (about 150ml) to form a smooth, elastic dough. Knead for 5-8 minutes, then divide into 6 balls, brush with olive oil, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
Make the filling: wash the spinach and wilt it in a large pan with no added water, just the moisture on the leaves. Squeeze out all the liquid very thoroughly with your hands, then chop finely.
In a bowl, combine the wilted spinach, ricotta, grated Parmesan, 2 beaten eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well and taste for seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush a deep, round 28cm baking tin with olive oil. Roll out 3 dough balls very thinly and layer them in the tin, brushing each layer with olive oil. Let the pastry overhang the sides.
Pour in the filling and spread evenly. Make 4 wells in the filling with the back of a spoon and crack a whole raw egg into each well. Season the eggs with a little salt.
Roll out the remaining 3 dough balls into thin sheets and layer them over the filling, brushing each with olive oil. Crimp the edges firmly to seal. Brush the top with olive oil and score lightly.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing - the eggs will be set and the filling firm.
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