Torta Pasqualina {Italian Easter Pie}

The torta Pasqualina is served as an antipasto at an Easter table. La torta Pasqualina is the most famous pie  from the Liguria area. This delicious torta is also eaten during Easter outside of Liguria. The original version is one of the most ancient Ligurian recipes, where the dough is rolled into 33 separate layers, symbolizing the age of Christ at the time of his death.  Today the torta is made typically with much less layers of dough. I’ve seen recipes for 12-18 layers and I’ve seen recipes with 4 layers of dough. The number of layers has now been reduced to 12-18–less symbolic but more practical. It?s a vegetable tart made with a very simple dough. The filling is usually made with ricotta cheese and spinach or artichokes, but the filling can be changed to highlight whatever green vegetables are in season.

I found this little tidbit from Saveur: Traditionally, torta pasqualina was made with 33 layers of dough—ten on the bottom and 23 on the top—to symbolize the 33 years of Christ’s life. According to Genoese politician and gastronome Paolo Emilio Taviani, when Nietzsche lived on Genoa’s piazza Portello in the 1880s, he thought it worth devoting an afternoon to learning how to prepare a torta pasqualina from his aged landlady.

For this Easter, I baked the guti (Italian wreaths with eggs)and braided breads. The kids just love them and argue over who gets which egg. I baked some ricotta crostate and I also made this torta Pasqualina. It is a typical Italian Easter pie that is from the Liguria region. It’s a flaky crusted pie that is filled with a wonderful ricotta and spinach filling (or Swiss chard or really whatever seasonal green/spring vegetable you like).

Buona Pasqua! Torta Pasqualina {Italian Easter Pie}
yields: 10-12 servings1 tablespoon butter
21 ounces Swiss chard (or spinach)
10 eggs, divided
1 1/3 cups ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
scant 1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
14 ounces puff pastry dough
all purpose flour for dusting
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a large pie pan or 10 inch springform pan with the butter.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the tough stems from the chard and add to the boiling water. Cook until tender, 3-5 minutes or shorter for spinach. Rinse in cold water, drain, and chop.
In a medium bowl, beat together 4 of the eggs. Push the ricotta through a strainer into the bowl, being sure to scrap the underside of the strainer for excess ricotta. Mix in the Parmesan, bread crumbs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, chopped chard, and marjoram.
On a lightly floured surface, cut the puff pastry into 4 equal pieces. Roll one piece until thin and large enough to cover pan with excess hanging over the edges. Brush with olive oil and roll out another piece. Place over first piece at an angle so the overhanging edges are not together. Cover the other two pieces with a damp cloth.
Pour half of the chard ricotta mixture into the prepared pan over the puff pastry. Use a spoon to make 6 indentations in the chard mixture in a circle. Break an egg into each indentation. Season with salt and pepper and cover with remaining chard ricotta mixture. Use a wet spatula to smooth the top.
Roll another piece of puff pastry until thin and place over chard mixture. Brush with oil. Roll the remaining piece of puff pastry and place on top. Carefully crimp all of the edges the seal. Prick the surface a few times with a fork.
Bake in preheated oven until heated through and top is golden brown. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve hot or cold.