Italian Easter Pie - Torta Pasqualina
Spinach and ricotta pie with eggs
Serves 6-8
For the crust:
160g cold butter
250g plain flour
200g ricotta
Salt and black pepper
For the filling:
600g spinach
300g ricotta
6 eggs + extra for brushing
80g parmesan, grated
A pinch of nutmeg
Optional:
A bunch of fresh herbs - parsley, oregano, basil. marjoram, dill (what you have handy)
You can replace some of the ricotta and the parmesan with feta cheese and a get a more Spanakopita style pie (like the ones you get in Greece)
Method
1. Put the flour and diced butter in a foodprocessor blitz till it looks like breadcrumbs Add the ricotta and a pinch of salt and blitz till it’s come together as a ball. Remove from foodprocessor and cover with clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Wash the spinach and put it in a pan over a low-medium heat and cover for a few minutes to wilt the spinach. Tip into a colander and drain.
3. Once the spinach has cooled down, squeeze out the water then chop roughly. Mix with ricotta, the 2 beaten eggs, salt, pepper, parmesan, the chopped herbs and a pinch of nutmeg.
4. Butter and flour a 26 cm round tin, I use one with tiny holes that allow the heat to get in on the sides and bottom. Preheat your oven to 190°C and put a baking tray in or the pie might be leaking onto the bottom of the oven. Cut the dough into two uneven pieces, one twice the size of the other. On a floured work surface roll the larger piece into a circle large enough to fill the tin, come up the sides and overhang. Lift the dough into the tin and press it into the corners. Add your filling, making four deep indents in the mixture, into which you break the eggs.
5. Roll the smaller piece into a disc the size of the tin and lift on to the filling. Using wet fingertips, press the dough to make a firm seal. Make 4 slits in the top and use any excess dough to make a heart or whatever you fancy to decorate the middle of the pie. Paint with beaten eggs or milk, with a fork press down the edge of the pie dough. Put on the hot baking tray, and bake for 50 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool a little before turning out. Serve warm or at room temperature with a salad and roasted red pepper dip.
