Torta Pasqualina

The Torta Pasqualina originally was prepared to celebrate Easter and was intended to be preserved for the picnic on Lunedì dell’Angelo (Easter Monday).

This savory pie hails from the city of Genoa, and its flavours and aromas embody those of the entire Ligurian region, featuring olive oil and aromatic herbs. It is primarily made during the Easter season, with ancient records dating back to the 16th century. The filling consists of vegetables, particularly Swiss chard and/or artichokes (sautéed), blended with Parmesan cheese, prescinseua (a type of fresh cheese), eggs, salt, and optionally, aromatic herbs like marjoram.

Traditionally, the outer layer of the pie was composed of many thin pastry sheets stacked on top of one another. In the most devout cases, the pie had 33 layers, representing the years of Christ at the time of his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. In ancient times, it was customary to make some marks on the top of the pie with a knife—sometimes associated with Christian symbolism, like a cross or a fish, and other times purely decorative. These markings helped families distinguish the pies they brought to the village oven for wood-fired baking.

To prepare the Torta Pasqualina, start by combining 500 grams of flour, cold water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt to form a smooth and soft dough. Divide the dough into as many pieces as the number of pastry layers you want for the pie and let them rest for one hour. Then, take one piece of the resting dough and roll it out with a rolling pin until it forms a thin sheet. Place this sheet in the bottom of a greased baking pan. Next, prepare the filling by combining 400 grams of Swiss chard and/or artichokes, 300 grams of prescinseua, Parmesan cheese, 8 eggs, salt, and pepper. Spread this filling over the pastry layer and cover it with additional thinly rolled sheets of dough. Finally, bake the pie in a preheated oven at 200°C (about 392°F) for 40 minutes. Once baked, enjoy the Torta Pasqualina at the table or as a packed lunch.