Torta Pasqualina a Easter Savory Pie
Ready in
1h 40 min
Preparation
60 min
Cooking
40 min
Portions
5 person
Cost
low
difficulty
easy
Savory Easter pie stuffed with artichokes, cheeses and eggs
Torta Pasqualina a easter savory pie of Cilento
The Torta Pasqualina (Easter Cake) with artichokes is a very tasty savory pie made with a base of Cilento brisè dough, that is, instead of butter, the dough is made with lard and water, this makes the dough soft and elastic, for the filling, besides with eggs and local cheese, the “Tondo di Paestum” IGP tender artichokes, where it is grown throughout the Cilento and above all in the Piana del Sele.
These genuine flavours, which smell of earth, sweat and sea, make the Torta Pasqualina of Nonna Claudia unique and unmistakable.
The Torta Pasqualina is a typical dish of Ligurian cuisine that is prepared during the Easter period, its origins date back to the Renaissance, it is said that Genoese women rolled 33 sheets that I superimposed on each other and then filled them with a cream of spinach and whole raw eggs, which once cooked became hard-boiled and left a real surprise effect, the number of sheets and the eggs symbolize the years and the resurrection of Christ. Over the years, the Pasqualina cake is prepared throughout Italy, even if there are many variations and the one with artichokes is one of many, the religious meaning does not change.
Ingredients
Dough
- 400g/14oz flour 00
- 100g/3,5oz suet or lard
- 100ml water
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
Filling
- 1kg/35oz tender artichokes
- 200g/7oz semi-mature goat cheese
Or first salt - 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 6 eggs
- 1 leek
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- 1 lemon
- J.e. salt and pepper
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Directions
In a small pan or in the microwave oven, melt the lard without frying it and let it cool
In a large bowl or directly on the pastry board, put the flour, make a hole in the center (fountain) and pour in the lard, water, egg and salt
Starting from the centre, mix all the ingredients and then knead vigorously for 5 minutes or until the dough is compact and elastic. Wrap it in a cloth or film and let it rest in the fridge
Clean the artichokes, remove all the hard outer leaves and the tips, cut them in half and remove any fluff, cut them into thin strips, wash them and immerse them in water with the lemon cut into several parts to prevent them from blackening
Wash and cut the leek in half, then slice it into thin strips and fry it in a large pan with oil, pepper and chopped parsley
Put the artichokes (without water) in the pan with the leek, sprinkle with salt and cook them over medium heat for 5 minutes, turning them often so they don’t stick. Turn off and let them cool down
Grease and flour a 22-24cm/9-10in pan, wash and dry the eggs and turn on the oven at 180°C/360°F
Divide the dough into two parts, one larger than the other, with a rolling pin, roll out the larger piece and form a thin sheet
Cover the pan with the pastry, make it adhere well to the sides and prick the bottom with a fork, cut all the pastry that comes out of the edges of the pan
Make a generous layer of cheese in the pan covering the pastry, then put all the artichokes spreading them on the cheese
With your hands or a spoon, in the ingredients just placed in the pan, make 5 lateral circle dimples and 1 central dimple
Break 1 egg at a time (paying attention to the pieces of shell) and pour it into a dimple, do this operation until you have covered all the holes
Make another layer of cheese by putting everything left
Generously grease the grill and the edges of the pan with the lard
With the prongs of the fork, prick the whole surface, then brush with lard or man’s yolk
Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooked, remove it from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack
Tips
- To be good, artichokes must be tender and without fluff, therefore, when you buy them, make sure they are fresh and of a nice dark purple colour.
- The artichokes, once cleaned and cut, must always be placed in water acidulated with lemon otherwise they become dark.
- The dough must be soft and not sticky or vice versa, since flours are not all the same, adjust yourself when kneading, if it seems hard add a little more water or vice versa more flour.
Storage
- The Pasqualina cake can be kept for 2-3 days at room temperature, always covered with a cloth or the bell.
Equipments
- Vegetable knife
- Chopping board
- Bowl
- Rolling pin
- Pastry board
- Oven
- Stove
- 22-24cm/9-10in tray
- Kitchen brush
- Pan
- Table Spoon
- Fork
- Small saucepan
- Tea towel
- Tray or platter
