Torta Pasqualina is a typical recipe of the Ligurian cuisine which, as the name suggests, is closely linked to the period of Easter! It’s about a savoury cake made with very thin sheets of pasta, which in our version embrace a filling of chard and ricotta, scented with marjoram and embellished by the presence of hard-boiled eggs, to be discovered only when the first slice is cut! This preparation has very ancient origins, it recalls a strong Easter symbolism: according to tradition, the 33 original puff pastries celebrated the years of Christ’s earthly life, while the 7 eggs are the symbol of the rebirth of life, the return of spring and the defeat of death . We offer you a slightly simplified version made with 18 layers of puff pastry, kneaded by hand and rolled out with a rolling pin just like it used to be. The original recipe would call for the prescinseua, a fresh Genoese cheese with a slightly sour taste, but since it is a product that is difficult to find outside the area, we preferred to replace it with ricotta. We assure you that the result will be just as tasty! Inevitable for the Easter lunchthe Pasqualina cake is perfect as savory pie for Easter Mondayperhaps together with its lesser-known cousin, the cake de gee.
Also try these delicious single-portion variants:
Read the recipe in English
To make the Easter cake, first prepare the dough: pour the flour and salt into a bowl 1 and the water 2 and start kneading 3. If you prefer, you can dissolve the salt in the water.
Also add the oil 4 and knead again in the bowl, helping yourself if necessary with a tarot 5. When the ingredients are well blended, transfer the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and continue to work for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. 6.
Now divide the dough into 18 pieces, one for each layer of the Easter cake: the first piece must weigh 100 g and will be used for the base, the others around 50 g 7. Round each piece 8 and arrange the balls obtained on a tray 8. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature while you take care of the filling 9.
Peel and finely chop the onion 10. Remove the stems from the beets 11 and coarsely cut the leaves 12.
Sauté the onions in a pan with a drizzle of oil 13then add the beets 14salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes 15.
Pour the beets into a colander 16 and let the excess water drain 17. Once cooled, transfer the beets into a bowl and add the eggs 18.
Also add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 19the chopped marjoram 20, salt and pepper. Mix well to mix everything 21.
Keep the mixture aside and move on to the ricotta filling: pour the ricotta into another bowl and work it with a whisk or a marisa to soften it 22then add the eggs 23 and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 24.
Season with nutmeg 25 and the salt 26then mix well with a whisk until you obtain a creamy and homogeneous consistency 27.
Keep the ricotta filling aside and go back to the dough: take the 100g ball and sprinkle it with a little flour both on top and bottom 28. Gently roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you obtain a very thin sheet with a diameter of at least 40 cm 29. Roll up the dough on the rolling pin so you can move it more easily 30.
Roll out the dough onto a 28 cm diameter springform pan, which you have previously brushed with oil 31. Help yourself with your hands to widen it without breaking it 32 and make it adhere perfectly to the base and edges of the pan; in this case the dough should protrude abundantly from the sides of the mould. Roll out one of the smaller balls of dough, this time to a diameter of 28cm as it will only cover the base 32.
Brush the first sheet with oil 33 and lay the second one in the mould, always helping yourself with the rolling pin 35. Do this until you have a total of 10 layers, brushing each layer with oil before adding the next. 36.
Pour the chard mixture over the base and level the surface 37then add the ricotta cream and distribute it evenly 38. With the back of a spoon, make 7 basins: one central and 6 lateral 39.
Shell the eggs for the filling in a separate bowl and gently slide one into each cavity 40then sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 41. Now roll out another ball of dough and cover the filling with the pastry obtained 42.
Brush with oil 43 and continue in this way until you have a total of 8 layers 44. Finally cut off part of the excess dough and roll up the edges to form a string 45.
With scissors, make small cuts in the upper part of the cake to prevent it from swelling during cooking 46, then bake in a preheated static oven at 180° for about 80-90 minutes, placing the pan on the bottom shelf. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the mold 47. Your Easter cake is ready to be cut into slices and served 48!
