Enjoy the Italian Easter tradition with the torta pasqualina, a rustic savory pie filled with chard, ricotta cheese and eggs! Find this and many more recipes on the Giallozafferano App in English http://itunes.apple.com/app/giallozafferano-recipes/id384387249?mt=8
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Today we’ll be making the torta pasqualina, an ancient Ligurian recipe, whose name means Easter pie. The torta pasqualina is a rustic savoury pie made from layers of dough filled with chard, ricotta cheese and eggs. Despite its regional origin, this Easter pie is eaten throughout Italy, therefore there are many variants: some use spinach instead of chard, others artichokes, and so on. Let’s see what we’ll need to make it.
• 1 1/3 cups (130 g) of grated parmesan cheese
• 2,2 lbs (1 kg) of chard 2/3 cup (150 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh marjoram
• ½ onion
• 13 eggs
• 2 cups (500 g) of ricotta cheese
• pepper / salt / nutmeg For the layers of dough:
• 4 ¾ cups (600 g) of flour
• 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups (300-350 ml) of water
• 2 1/3 tbsp (35 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon of salt
To prepare the layers of dough begin by putting the flour in a bowl along with these ingredients. Dissolve the salt into 1 and ¼ cups (300 ml) of water, and put aside the other ¼ cup to see how the flour is absorbing the liquid; you’ll use it if the flour is still too dry after the first addition of water. So pour in the oil, the salted water, and mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated; once blended, see if you need any more water and then turn out the dough onto a wooden or marble surface and continue to knead for another 10 to 15 minutes, then form into a ball, wrap in cling film and let it rest for at least an hour in a cool place. In a pan, place 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the finely chopped onion and sauté on a low flame for 10 to 15 minutes until the onion is transparent; at that point, add the roughly chopped chard and sauté for a few minutes; add salt and pepper to taste, the chopped marjoram and let it cool. Once it’s cooled, transfer to a bowl, and add ½ cup (50 g) of the grated cheese, beat 3 eggs and add them as well; mix thoroughly to blend. Let’s make the second part of the filling: in a bowl combine the ricotta with ½ cup (50 g) of grated cheese, beat 3 eggs and add them as well, a pinch of salt, a pinch of grated nutmeg, and mix together well. Now move on to the 4 layers of dough: take your ball of dough and divide it into 4 pieces, two should be larger than the other two: the big ones should be around 10 oz (300 g) each and the smaller ones should be about 6-7 oz (180 g) each. After being rolled out very thinly, we’ll use two large sheets of dough to line the bottom of a 12-inch (30 cm) round cake pan, so there will be two layers on the bottom, and two on the top. I’ve already rolled out one of the bigger bits. Now take it like this to stretch it out even more, take a pan that has been greased with oil, and line it with the dough; don’t worry if it seems much too large, because you’ll need to generously line the cake pan, and if there is excess dough you can cut it off as needed. After lining the pan with the first layer, brush completely with oil, then roll out the second sheet of dough; now place the second layer over the first. Line the cake pan carefully, after that pour in the chard mixture. After rolling out the second piece of dough, add the chard mixture, spread it evenly and then pour the ricotta mixture over it, spread it evenly as well, after that form 7 indentations, one in the centre and 6 in a circle around it, and we’ll put an egg yolk into each well. Here we are, as you can see the egg yolks have been placed into the indentations, now beat the reserved egg whites just until smooth, and pour a little — just a thin layer — over the surface; then sprinkle the remaining grated cheese all over and cover the whole thing with the other 2 layers of dough. Roll out the remaining pieces of dough, the smaller ones, put the first one as a cover for the pie, and brush it with oil; now put the fourth and last layer over that one, stretching it out with your hands. Make the layers stick to each other, then use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut off the excess dough from the sides, after that fold in the edge of the dough. As you can see I’ve folded in the dough, now press it down with a fork to make a decorative edge or you can also pinch it with your fingers, as you prefer. Finally brush the surface with oil and bake at 350°F (180°C) for at least 45 minutes. Once it’s out of the oven, let the Easter pie cool in the pan, then take it out and serve at room temperature or even cold if you’d like. This is a great dish to take along on a trip and serve cold, it will certainly make an impression.
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