Authentic Torta Pasqualina Recipe from Liguria – A Traditional Italian Easter Dish

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the Dough: Place the flour, the water, the salt, and the olive oil in a bowl or mixer bowl - kneading hook on. Mix the ingredients with a fork until you get lumps, then work with your hands until you get a smooth dough that won't stick to your hands. If you are using a mixer, let it do all the magic.

   Cover the dough with a kitchen cloth and set it aside while you prepare the filling.

2. Prepare the Filling: Clean the chard leaves and coarsely chop them. Peel and finely chop the onion.

   Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook it over medium heat, until golden, about 5 minutes.

   Add the chard sprinkled with a pinch of salt, cover, and cook over medium/low heat, until mushy - about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, finely chop the marjoram leaves.

   Place the ricotta cheese in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and the parmesan cheese - grated at the moment if you want it really flavorful. Add a few grinds of pepper and marjoram, and mix well to incorporate.

   When the chard is cooked, drain it well and add it to the ricotta bowl. Mix well and set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. Assemble the Pie: Take back the dough and divide it into five pieces. Form five balls and roll out each one with a rolling pin, thin enough to make them as large as the mold plus one third.

   Grease the pan with a teaspoon of oil, discard the excess, and add a tablespoon of flour. Shake and incline the mold to make sure the flour adheres to the bottom and the sides, then discard the excess flour.

   Line the mold with the first dough disc and brush it with a drop or two of olive oil. Repeat twice, so you have three layers on the bottom of the mold, spilling on the sides.

   Fill the mold with the ricotta and chard filling and distribute it evenly.

6. Add the Eggs: With the back of a spoon, form two cavities in the filling, each large enough to contain an egg. Crack the eggs into the cavities and sprinkle them with a tiny pinch of salt.

7. Seal and Puff the Pastry: Add the fourth puff pastry layer, brush it with olive oil, and add the fifth one.

   Take all the flaps dropping out of the mold and roll them up to seal the borders. For a nicer finish, press all the perimeter with your fingertips. But leave an opening large enough to let you insert a straw.

   Brush the surface with olive oil.

   Now you have to be fast: blow air into the pie through the straw to puff the top layers into a balloon, immediately seal the opening without letting it deflate. I tried twice, maybe three times.

8. Bake: Bake the pie - it will flatten almost immediately - for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden.

9. Final Touch: Remove the pie from the oven and brush the surface, once more, with olive oil: you'll see waves form - the distinctive feature of this dish.

   Unmold and serve the Torta Pasqualina at room temperature!