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    Home » Recipes » Antipasti and Light Bites

    Torta Pasqualina (Spinach & Ricotta Egg Pie)

    Published: Apr 6, 2021, Last updated: Apr 13, 2022 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A pinterest graphic of 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.

    Torta Pasqualina with a slice cut out

    Torta Pasqualina, a Ligurian Easter pie made with pastry, spinach or greens, ricotta, eggs, and cheese.

    Traditionally the pastry consisted of 33 layers to represent the life of Christ. Our recipe uses ready-made puff pastry for ease and is super easy to put together. You can easily adapt it with any greens you like and different cheeses.

    When cut into slices you can see the cooked eggs throughout the spinach and ricotta filling, it looks so impressive and is perfect for celebrating Easter.

    Ingredients - what you need

    See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this recipe plus some important notes on ingredients.

    An overhead shot of all the ingredients you need to make Torta Pasqualina
    • Puff pastry - we use all-butter ready-rolled puff pastry for ease and convenience but you can make your own if you prefer.
    • Spinach - if your spinach has any hardy stalks remove them before sautéing. You can also use other greens such as chicory and Swiss chard.
    • Ricotta - use whole milk ricotta and drain off any excess milk before mixing with the filling ingredients.
    • Onion & garlic - these are sauteed with the spinach for added flavour, you could also use shallots.
    • Nutmeg - just a pinch makes adds a lovely flavour to the filling.
    • Cheese - you can use pecorino or parmesan cheese for this.
    • Eggs - use large free-range eggs if possible.

    Grease a 9 inch pie dish and set aside. Remove the pastry from the fridge.

    Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, saute it for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent (photo 1).

    Step by step photos showing how to saute spinach, onion and garlic

    Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant then add the spinach (photo 2).

    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.

    Once cooled roughly chop the spinach mixture into small pieces. Put it in a large mixing bowl with the ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese, pinch of nutmeg, and a good pinch of salt and pepper (photo 3 - 5).

    Step by step photos showing how to fill torta pasqualina with a spinach and ricotta filling

    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 (photo 6).

    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 (photos 8 & 9).

    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 (photo 10).

    Step by step photos showing how to finish preparing Torta Pasqualina

    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 (photo 11).

    Bake in the oven for 50 minutes then let cool completely before serving (photo 12).

    Recipe tips and FAQs

    • 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 realised. 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.
    Can I prepare this in advance?

    Absolutely, you can prepare the filling and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days or prepare the whole pie in advance.

    Can I freeze it?

    A slice of Torta Pasqualina on a plate cut in half

    More Italian Easter recipes

    • Italian Easter Bread (Pane di Pasqua)
    • Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie)
    • Italian Lamb Ragu (Ragu di Agnello)

    If you’ve tried this Torta Pasqualina Recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

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    A close up of a slice of Torta Pasqualina
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    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.
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 465kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    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 tablespoon olive oil
    • Butter for greasing

    Instructions

    • Grease a 9 inch pie dish and set aside. Remove the pastry from the fridge.
    • Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, saute it for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Bake in the oven for 50 minutes then let cool completely before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3449IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 3mg
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

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    Ciao, we're Emily and Nathan. Our years living in Italy taught us how to cook authentic and delicious Italian food. We're here to help you put a beautiful meal on the table with tried and tested recipes you can trust. more about us!

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