Easy Torta Pasqualina

Name: Easy Torta Pasqualina
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Puff pastry (2 round rolls) 1 lb; Eggs 4; Chard 2.25 lbs; Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz; Eggs 2; Nutmeg to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz; Eggs 2; Nutmeg to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Egg yolks 1; Whole milk 1 spoonful

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Serving: 8
Cost: Low
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PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Luisa Orizio

Easy Torta Pasqualina is a shortcut take on the Italian Easter pie that abandons all 33 layers of the traditional hand-rolled dough in favor of store-bought puff pastry — and still delivers the dish's most memorable moment: cut the first slice and whole eggs appear inside the filling, fully intact. That reveal is the point, and it lands just as cleanly here as it does in the original.

The filling is a double layer of Swiss chard and ricotta with whole eggs nestled inside before the pie is sealed. A specific trick keeps the puff pastry base from going soft under the filling, so the crust stays crisp all the way through. The result is rich, visually striking, and at home at Easter lunch or a Pasquetta picnic — the flavor of the original, without the two-day project.

INGREDIENTS

For a pan with an 8-inch base and a 9.5-inch top: Puff pastry 1 lb (460 g) - (2 round rolls); Eggs 4

For the green filling: Chard 2.25 lbs (1 kg); Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup (250 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz (50 g); Eggs 2; Nutmeg to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For the white filling: Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup (250 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz (50 g); Eggs 2; Nutmeg to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For brushing: Egg yolks 1; Whole milk 1 spoonful

Preparation

How to prepare Easy Torta Pasqualina

To make the easy pasqualina pie, start with the chard: heat a drizzle of oil in a wide nonstick pan 1, add the chard 2 and cover with a lid 3.

Cook over medium heat for about 10–15 minutes, just long enough for it to wilt 4. Pour the chard into a colander and press well to remove excess water 5; this way the pastry will stay crisp. Finally, chop it finely with a knife 6.

For the green filling: transfer the chopped chard to a bowl, then add the ricotta 7, the grated cheese 8 and the eggs 9.

Season with nutmeg 10, salt and pepper 11. Mix well to obtain a homogeneous mixture 12. Set aside.

Move on to the white filling: in another bowl put the ricotta 13, the eggs 14 and the grated cheese 15.

Add the nutmeg 16, salt 17 and pepper, then combine everything 18.

You are ready to assemble the pie: unroll the puff pastry and place it with its baking paper inside a pan with a diameter of 8 inches at the base and 9.5 inches at the top 19. Prick the base with a fork 20, then evenly distribute the green filling 21.

Using the back of a spoon, make 4 hollows 22, then pour a whole egg into each one 23; to avoid breaking them, we recommend cracking the eggs separately first. Now add the white filling 34.

Gently level the cream 25, then cover with the second sheet of puff pastry 26 and trim the excess with a pair of scissors 27.

Seal the edges by twisting the pastry onto itself 28 29. In a small bowl, mix the yolk with the milk 30.

Brush the surface and edges of the pie with the mixture obtained 31. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 392°F for about 50 minutes. Once golden, remove from the oven and let it cool slightly. Your easy pasqualina pie is ready to be served 33!

Storage

It is recommended to eat the easy pasqualina pie immediately, as the puff pastry will tend to soften. If necessary, you can prepare it the day before and reheat it before serving.