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Italian Easter Spinach Pie, also known as la Torta Pasqualina, is a savory spinach ricotta pie flavored with pecorino cheese, green onions, nutmeg and a hint of garlic with whole eggs baked in a buttery puff pastry crust. It’s traditionally made in Italian households around Easter time–on Easter Sunday with leftovers often enjoyed as a lovely picnic food on Easter Monday/Pasquetta.
Easter is a time for joy, family get-togethers, and delicious moments. And, in Italy, no Easter celebration is truly complete without enjoying a slice of this delicious spinach ricotta pie.
And, as eggs classically signify spring and rebirth, this egg-abundant recipe is very apropos during the Easter season.
Torta Pasqualina (pronounced pah-skwah-lee-na) is a traditional savory Easter pie that has its roots in the sixteenth century in the northwestern Italian region of Liguria (the area known for creating beloved pesto Genovese). Over the years, it has become popular all over Italy and also in many Italian-American households, similar to pastiera di grano and pizza rustica. The word pasqualina derives from the Latin word “paschalis” and means “relating to” or “born during Easter”.
This double-crusted, savory Italian spinach pie was created with strong symbolic value. It was originally made, according to legend, with 33 layers of dough, each representing a year of Jesus’s life. Here, I’ve cut that down quite a bit to make this recipe easy and accessible for all of us!
The creamy spinach and ricotta filling is encased in a buttery and flaky puff pastry crust that melts in your mouth. Then, whole eggs are gently placed into wells in the filling for an amazingly attractive visual presentation that is very spring- and Easter-like. The pie is then baked until the crust is puffed and golden brown.
While at first glance, this recipe may seem complicated, it’s actually a quite simple preparation that doesn’t take very long, is quite impressive and eye-catching and has a delicious taste and aroma! The icing on the cake is if you’re able to slice right into the middle of each whole egg (and I give you a foolproof trick in the recipe below to achieve this!)
While traditional at Easter, this Italian spinach pie can certainly be enjoyed year-round for any special occasion. It’s an easy, make-ahead, vegetarian dish that’s an impressive crowd-pleaser. Serve it with a side salad, some crusty bread and a glass of Italian wine for a delicious meal anytime! Mangia bene!
Ricotta cheese is also the star ingredient in another Italian Easter favorite–delicious Sicilian Cheesecake with Orange and Almond!
Main Ingredient Notes
We’ll use the following to make this Italian spinach pie:
- Puff Pastry Dough: Puff pastry is a “laminated” dough that is made by repeatedly folding layers of dough with butter. The butter layers and folds are what creates the dough to “puff” and become light and flaky when baked. Many versions of Italian spinach pie use puff pastry, but not all. I used it here for its convenience as puff pastry is readily available in the freezer sections of most supermarkets and also easy to work with (as long as it remains cold!). Plus, it’s very buttery and delicious! See Puff Pastry Tips below for more information. Other options are to use homemade or purchased pie dough or homemade short crust, a.k.a., pasta frolla.
- Ricotta Cheese: Whole milk ricotta will give you the creamiest version of the filling and is recommended. Be sure to strain out excess liquid.
- Spinach: I used thawed, frozen spinach here for convenience, but this dish is often traditionally made with a variety of dark leafy greens, such as chard, escarole, fresh spinach and more. Feel free to use whatever greens you like but be sure to squeeze as much excess liquid out of them as possible. Excess moisture in the filling will create a soggy crust and pie.
- Green Onions: While not used in the traditional version of torta pasqualina, I include them here for their flavor and slight crunch. You can use chives in place of green onions, or yellow onions for more of a crunch, like in my Spinach Quiche recipe.
- Pecorino Romano Cheese: While Parmigiano-Reggiano is the cheese used in the traditional version of this recipe, I used sharp pecorino cheese in a nod to my southern Italian roots. Plus, I love its sharpness and flavor! But, you can certainly use parmigiano or parmesan cheese as a substitute for some or all of the pecorino.
- Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. They help in setting up the spinach pie and are also used whole for a great visual presentation.
- Spices: Nutmeg, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. A little nutmeg goes a long way, so don’t use too much of it. The garlic is not traditional, but it adds a little something-something. Use garlic confit or roasted garlic if you have some on hand! But, don’t use raw garlic as it will be too overpowering.
How to Make Italian Easter Spinach Pie
- Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Make sure the puff pastry is thawed, but hold it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Put the ricotta in a strainer or fine mesh sieve propped over a bowl and let it drain out excess liquid for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature. Discard the liquid and transfer the strained ricotta to a large bowl and set aside. Beat 2 of the eggs. Make sure all excess liquid is squeezed out of the thawed spinach.
- Combine the spinach, ricotta and pecorino cheeses, green onions and spices in a large bowl and mix well. Then, fold in the 2 beaten eggs and stir until well-combined. Set this mixture aside.
- Next, take the puff pastry out of the refrigerator and place one sheet on a lightly floured surface. Dust a rolling pin lightly with flour. Then, roll the dough out gently as needed with rolling pin until it is large enough to cut a 9” diameter circle out of it. Then, turn the springform pan upside down and use it to trace a circle to be used for the top of the torta pasqualina. Use shears or a butter knife to cut the circle out.
- Transfer this dough circle to a piece of parchment paper and place four slits in it with a knife (and any other design of your choice), as seen in the photo above.
- PRO TIP: These slits will allow steam to be released from the pie during the baking process and will also be used to indicate where the whole eggs were placed.
- Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the lightly floured surface and gently roll it out until it’s large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. (See Puff Pastry Tips below.)
- Carefully transfer the dough to buttered pan and press gently as needed so that it hugs all corners of the pan. Use extra/random pieces of dough to patch holes if needed. Let excess dough just hang over the sides at this point.
- Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork in several places.
- Then, fill the dough/pan with the reserved spinach ricotta mixture and spread it out evenly. Make sure the filling is spread evenly into the corners of the pan.
- Use the back of a spoon to make four deep indentations in the spinach mixture. Each cavity should be large enough to hold one of the eggs.
- Place each whole egg into the cavity, one at a time, then sprinkle each egg lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Carefully place the reserved dough circle on top, making sure to line up each slit in the center of each whole egg.
- Trim off excess dough with a knife or kitchen shears, then fold the dough sides over the top and press pastry edges to seal.
- Beat the last egg with 1 Tbsp water until frothy to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin even layer of this egg wash all over the surface of the pie/top dough layer. Be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies and be careful not to let egg wash pool on the surface or at the base of the pan. If this happens, use a paper towel to gently absorb the excess.
- Bake until the pastry is golden brown and puffed and the filling is firm. Remove the pie from the oven and cool it at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so before releasing it from the springform pan. Enjoy!
More Spring Favorites
- Italian Easter Meat Pie ~ Pizzagaina (Pizza Rustica)
- Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna with Béchamel
- Baked Spiral Ham with Marsala Wine Glaze
- Artichoke Sausage Pasta with Lemon and Basil
- Sausage Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
- Baked Artichoke Hearts
- Pesto Roasted Potatoes
- Creamed Spinach with Croutons
- Pasta with Broccoli
- Ham and Gruyere Quiche
- Pasta Con Sarde ~ Sicilian Sardine Pasta
- Lemony Pasta with Peas and Ricotta
- St Joseph’s Pasta ~ Spaghetti with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs
- Pasta e Piselli (Italian Pasta with Peas)
- Lamb Meatballs with Pistachio Mint Sauce
- Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu
- Mediterranean Lamb Shoulder
Puff Pastry Tips
- Use high quality puff pastry. I used butter puff pastry, but many brands are actually made with oil. The brand I used is DuFour and it can be found in the freezer section of many supermarkets.
- Thaw it according to the package directions. I took mine out of the freezer the night before using and let it thaw in the refrigerator, which is the best way to thaw puff pasty.
- Tread lightly if you are short on time and want to thaw the puff pastry at room temperature. You don’t want the dough to become too soft that the butter melts and the dough becomes limp, so keep a close eye on it.
- Puff pastry is best worked with while cold, so leave it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Dust the work surface and the rolling pin lightly with flour to prevent sticking. If you have a marble rolling pin, use that as it stays cool and can help prevent the butter in the pastry from melting too quickly.
- Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the puff pastry to the desired size. Don’t over-roll the puff pastry, as that can lead to a tough or flat dough.
- Try not to roll over the edges of puff pastry, as this can deflate its layers and prevent it from puffing up properly during baking.
- Puff pastry needs to remain relatively chilled when working with it. So, if you have gotten delayed and there is some time in between rolling out the dough and using it, you may need to refrigerate it so that it does not become too soft before baking.
- You can use puff pastry dough ends and random pieces to fill in holes or corners as needed.
- Leftover/extra puff pastry can be refrozen. I suggest rolling it in parchment paper and then plastic wrap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the whole eggs in the pie?
If you don’t have extra whole eggs, you can certainly leave them out and you will still have a delicious spinach ricotta pie, just with a different look. It will be a bit like an Italian spanakopita!
But, be sure to include the two eggs mixed into the spinach and ricotta filling.
Can I use a different pastry?
I use purchased puff pastry here for convenience and because it gives great results, is buttery and delicious. But, you can certainly use purchased or homemade pie dough. You can also use a homemade short crust, a.k.a., pasta frolla. Some recipes also call for phyllo dough, in a nod to our Greek paesani. The baking time for all of these different options will vary.
You can also make mini versions of this recipe using the same dough but building the pies in muffin tins or folding the puff pastry into triangles.
How far in advance can I make this Italian spinach pie?
You can make torta pasqualina up to 4 days before serving and hold it in the refrigerator covered. You can also freeze for up to 3 months! To freeze it, wrap the chilled pie tightly in plastic wrap then a layer of foil and/or place it in a freezer bag. You can also wrap and freeze individual slices. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
If you’d like to serve Italian spinach pie warm and need to heat it up, just cover it in foil and place it in a 325°F oven until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
ITALIAN EASTER SPINACH PIE TOP TIPS
- Dry Ingredients: It’s important that the ingredients are not wet as they can make the pastry soggy. Be sure to strain the ricotta and squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the thawed spinach. I use my hands to do this in batches.
- Top Dough Circle: One of the goals of this recipe is to cut the pie so that you slice right through the middle of the whole eggs, for the best visual impact. Strategically making slits in the top dough layer to indicate where the eggs are is a good way to ensure this.
- Cooling: Be sure to cool the Italian spinach pie a bit before slicing it. Cooling time allows the ricotta cheese to set so that it can be sliced without falling apart.
- Serving: Enjoy this recipe at room temperature, chilled or warmed up–as you please! It is traditionally served on Easter Sunday morning, as an appetizer for Easter brunch or on Easter Monday. It also makes a delicious lunch with a simple green salad. It’s generally not served piping hot.
- Reheating: If you’d like to serve Italian spinach pie warm and need to heat it up, just cover it in foil and place it in a 325°F oven until heated through.
- Make in Advance: You can make torta pasqualina up to 4 days before serving and hold it in the refrigerator covered tightly with plastic wrap. You can also freeze for up to 3 months! To freeze it, wrap the chilled pie tightly in plastic wrap then a layer of foil and/or place it in a freezer bag. You can also wrap and freeze individual slices. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
- You can also make the filling one day in advance and hold it in the refrigerator overnight, covered.
- Variations/Substitutions:
- Greens: I used thawed, frozen spinach here for convenience, but this dish is often traditionally made with a variety of dark leafy greens, such as swiss chard, escarole, spinach and more. Some recipes also call for artichokes or peas, both great seasonal ingredients. Feel free to use whatever greens you like.
- Cheese: You can use half pecorino and half parmigiano cheese if desired.
- Garlic: If you happen to have some roasted garlic or garlic confit cloves on hand, use a few of those (mashed) in place of the garlic powder.
- If you don’t have extra whole eggs, you can certainly leave them out and you will still have a delicious pie, just with a different look. It will be a bit like an Italian spanakopita!
- Use butter or olive oil to grease the pan.
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Italian Easter Spinach Pie recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Easy Italian Easter Spinach Pie ~ Torta Pasqualina
Italian Easter Spinach Pie, also known as la Torta Pasqualina, is a savory spinach ricotta pie flavored with pecorino cheese, green onions, nutmeg and a hint of garlic with whole eggs baked in a buttery puff pastry crust. It’s traditionally enjoyed in Italian households around Easter time–on Easter Sunday with leftovers often enjoyed as a lovely picnic food on Easter Monday/Pasquetta.
Ingredients
- 20 ounces frozen chopped or cut leaf spinach, thawed and completely squeezed dry
- 1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese at room temperature, drained of excess moisture (See Notes.)
- ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (See Notes.)
- ¾ cup chopped green onions (both white and green parts; 6-7 green onions)
- ¾ tsp garlic powder (See Notes.)
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 7 large eggs, divided
- 2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed (see Notes.)
- All-purpose flour (for rolling out dough)
- Butter for greasing pan
- Pinch salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350℉. Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Make sure the puff pastry is thawed, but hold it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Put the ricotta in a strainer or fine mesh sieve propped over a bowl and let it drain out excess liquid for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature. (You can line it with cheesecloth if you have it.) Discard the liquid and transfer the strained ricotta to a large bowl and set aside. Beat 2 of the eggs. Make sure all excess liquid is squeezed out of the thawed spinach.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese, 20 ounces frozen chopped or cut leaf spinach,
- Make the Spinach Ricotta Filling: Combine the spinach, ricotta and pecorino cheeses, green onions and spices in a large bowl and mix well.20 ounces frozen chopped or cut leaf spinach,, 1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese, ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, ¾ cup chopped green onions, ¾ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Then, fold in the 2 beaten eggs and stir until well-combined. Set this mixture aside.
- Next, take the puff pastry out of the refrigerator and place one sheet on a lightly floured surface. Dust a rolling pin lightly with flour. Then, roll the dough out gently as needed with rolling pin until it is large enough to cut a 9” diameter circle out of it. Then, turn the springform pan upside down and use it to trace a circle to be used for the top of the torta pasqualina. (See photos above.) Use shears or a butter knife to cut the circle out.2 sheets puff pastry dough,
- Transfer this dough circle to a piece of parchment paper and place four slits in it with a knife (and any other design of your choice), as seen in the photo above. These slits will allow steam to be released from the pie during the baking process and will also be used to indicate where the whole eggs were placed.
- Next, grease the bottom and sides of the springform pan with butter and set aside.
- Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the lightly floured surface and gently roll it out until it’s large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the pan and press gently as needed so that it hugs all corners of the pan. Use extra/random pieces of dough to patch holes if needed. This is a rustic pie so there’s no need to be very precise. Let excess dough just hang over the sides at this point.
- Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork in several places.
- Then, fill the dough/pan with the reserved spinach ricotta mixture and spread it out evenly. Make sure the filling is spread evenly into the corners of the pan.
- Use the back of a spoon to make four deep indentations in the spinach mixture as shown in the photo above. Each cavity should be large enough to hold one of the eggs.
- Carefully crack 4 of the remaining eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl, taking care to not break the yolk. Cracking the eggs in a bowl first ensures that you do not put any broken eggs into the pie. If you do happen to break the yolk of one of the eggs, use it for another purpose and get a new egg for this pie.Place each whole egg into the cavity, one at a time, then sprinkle each egg lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Carefully place the reserved dough circle on top, making sure to line up each slit in the center of each whole egg. (See Notes.)
- Trim off excess dough with a knife or kitchen shears, then fold the dough sides over the top and press pastry edges to seal, as shown in the photo above.
- At this point, if you have not already done so, make a few slits into the top dough layer to let steam escape while baking. Take care not to puncture the eggs. (It’s best to do this before the top dough layer is placed on the pie.)
- Beat the last egg with 1 Tbsp water until frothy to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin even layer of this egg wash all over the surface of the pie/top dough layer. Be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies and be careful not to let egg wash pool on the surface or at the base of the pan. If this happens, use a paper towel to gently absorb the excess.NOTE: The entire egg wash will not be used.
- Place the pie on a rack in the lower third of a 350℉ preheated oven and set the timer for 50 minutes. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and puffed and the filling is firm. I do use a very fine metal skewer to check the doneness of the pie (same as testing a cake) and I recommend doing that if you’re unsure. A small toothpick will also work.(If the crust is getting too brown during the baking process, reduce the oven temperature to 325℉ and cook it a bit longer.)NOTE that the baking time is an approximation as all ovens vary. The pie took exactly 60 minutes in my electric oven, but may take less or more time in your oven.
- Remove the pie from the oven and cool it at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so before releasing it from the springform pan. Enjoy torta pasqualina at room temperature, chilled or warmed up–as you please! It is traditionally served on Easter morning or as an appetizer for Easter brunch. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- This recipe makes 8 large servings/slices, but can definitely be cut into smaller pieces to serve more people and depending on what else is being served.
- It’s important that the ingredients are not wet as they can make the pastry soggy. Be sure to strain the ricotta and squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the thawed spinach. I use my hands to do this in batches.
- You can strain the ricotta one night ahead and allow the ricotta to drain overnight in the refrigerator if necessary. But, be sure to bring the ricotta to room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before using.
- You can use half pecorino and half parmigiano cheese if desired.
- If you happen to have some roasted garlic or garlic confit cloves on hand, use a few of those (mashed) in place of the garlic powder.
- Don’t be tempted to use already cooked, hard boiled eggs in the cavities in place of raw, as they will definitely become overcooked.
- The goal in slicing the finished spinach pie is that you slice right through the middle of each whole egg, for the best visual presentation. In order to know where this is, I suggest adding 4 slits strategically in the top dough layer and making sure each of these slits lines up with each egg.
- You can make the filling one day in advance and hold it in the refrigerator overnight, covered.
- Be sure to cool the Italian spinach pie a bit before slicing it. Cooling time allows the ricotta cheese to set so that it can be sliced without falling apart.
- You can make torta pasqualina up to 4 days before serving and hold it in the refrigerator covered tightly with plastic wrap. You can also freeze for up to 3 months! To freeze it, wrap the chilled pie tightly in plastic wrap then a layer of foil and/or place it in a freezer bag. You can also wrap and freeze individual slices. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
- If you’d like to serve Italian spinach pie warm and need to heat it up, just cover it in foil and place it in a 325°F oven until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
- Although you can enjoy this Italian Easter spinach pie while warm or later at room temperature on the day it’s baked, it’s a great idea to make it 1 to 2 days prior to serving it. This will allow the filling time to set. Torta pasqualina is usually served chilled or at room temperature on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday. It’s generally not served piping hot fyi.
- Use high quality puff pastry. I used butter puff pastry, but many brands are actually made with oil.
- Find frozen puff pastry in the freezer section of the grocery store.
- Thaw it according to the package directions. I took mine out of the freezer the night before using and let it thaw in the refrigerator, which is the best way to thaw puff pasty.
- Tread lightly if you are short on time and want to thaw the puff pastry at room temperature. You don’t want the dough to become too soft that the butter melts and the dough becomes limp, so keep a close eye on it.
- Puff pastry is best worked with while cold, so leave it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Dust the work surface and the rolling pin lightly with flour to prevent sticking. If you have a marble rolling pin, use that as it stays cool and can help prevent the butter in the pastry from melting too quickly.
- Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the puff pastry to the desired size. Don’t over-roll the puff pastry, as that can lead to a tough or flat dough.
- Try not to roll over the edges of puff pastry, as this can deflate its layers and prevent it from puffing up properly during baking.
- Puff pastry needs to remain relatively chilled when working with it. So, if you have gotten delayed and there is some time in between rolling out the dough and using it, you may need to refrigerate it so that it does not become too soft before baking.
- You can use puff pastry dough ends and random pieces to fill in holes or corners as needed.
- Leftover/extra puff pastry can be refrozen. I suggest rolling it in parchment paper and then plastic wrap.
- The perfect pan to use for this recipe is a 9”x3” deep springform pan.
- But, you can also use a 2 quart glass round casserole dish or any deep dish pie pan.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I make it every Easter and everyone enjoys it! The leftovers are perfect on Easter Monday and during the week as well.