This Italian spinach pie is made with homemade dough and a simple spinach and egg filling. Easy to make and perfect for Easter, or a delicious lunch or dinner any time of the year.
Italian spinach pie is a traditional Easter dish known as torta Pasqualina. It is made with layers of dough and a spinach filling with eggs baked inside.
It is similar to Balkan recipes like Puff Pastry Spanakopita or Turkish Spinach Pie or Börek, but the dough and shaping are a bit different, and there are eggs inside.
Ingredients: 10 + salt, pepper & olive oil | Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 6 | Difficulty: Medium
Jump to recipe
Recipe ingredients
Spinach: Use fresh spinach if possible. It cooks down a lot, so the quantity might look like too much at first. Make sure to squeeze it very well after cooking so the filling is not watery. Check out this Albanian Byrek recipe, too.
Eggs: The eggs are added whole to the pie. They set while baking and give the pie its structure.
Ricotta: Use firm ricotta. If it looks very wet, let it sit in a sieve for a short time before using. Otherwise, it can be used as is. Make another savory cheese pie like the Serbian Gibanica.
Parmesan: You can replace part of it with another hard cheese if needed.
Bread and milk: The soaked bread helps bind the filling and keeps it soft. Don't skip it.
Olive oil: Used for the dough and for brushing the layers.
Butter: Small pieces are added inside and around the edge. This helps the layers bake nicely and adds flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Italian spinach pie?
Step #1: Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then another 2 with your hands.
Step #2: Divide it into 6 or 8 balls (See Tips). Let rest for 1 hour on a floured towel, covered with a damp kitchen towel.
Step #3: Let the wet spinach wilt in a pot, drain, and let cool.
Step #4: Thoroughly squeeze, then chop the spinach and mix it with salt, pepper, and marjoram.
Step #5: Soak the bread in a little milk.
Step #6: Mash the bread with the beaten egg.
Step #7: Add ricotta and Parmesan and mix well.
Step #8: Fold in the spinach.
Step #9: Roll one piece of dough as thin as possible, then stretch it with your hands to make it larger.
Step #10: Place the dough layer in the prepared springform and brush it with oil. Repeat with 3 or 4 dough balls, brush them all, except for the last one.
Step #11: Add the filling and make indentations with a spoon.
Step #12: Place a small piece of butter into each indentation, then carefully crack one egg into each one.
Step #13: Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Step #14: Break the remaining butter into small pieces and place them around the edge of the pie.
Step #15: Fold the overhanging dough inward over the butter, rolling and pressing lightly to seal the edge. Brush the top with oil and prick lightly with a toothpick.
Step #16: Bake for 75 minutes until set and golden. Cover loosely with foil after about 50 minutes if it's getting too dark.
Tips
Shortcut: If you want a quicker version, you can use about 1 lb/ 450 g puff pastry instead of homemade dough. Line the pan with one sheet, add the filling, then cover with another sheet. Seal the edges and prick the top lightly. Bake as instructed, but start checking earlier, as puff pastry browns faster.
Number of layers: You can keep things easier by making 3 layers for the bottom and 3 layers for the top. In this case, the dough pieces are slightly larger, which makes them easier to roll out and stretch without tearing.
- If you want a more advanced version, divide the dough into 8 pieces and make 4 layers for the bottom and 4 for the top. This requires a bit more practice, as the dough is thinner and needs to be stretched more carefully.
- The layers for the top are generally easier to handle, as they don't need to be stretched as large as the bottom layers once the filling is in the pan - they only need to cover the surface rather than reach all the way up the sides of the springform.
Pan size: A 7 or 8-inch springform both work. A smaller pan gives a slightly taller pie and may need a few more minutes in the oven.
Keep the dough covered: Always keep the dough balls under a damp kitchen towel. This keeps them soft and prevents them from drying out while you work.
Stretching the dough: Don't worry if the first layer doesn't cover the pan perfectly. You can adjust with the next layers.
Store and reheat
Store the pie covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat slices in the oven at a low temperature until warmed through. Avoid the microwave if possible, as it softens the pastry.
Serve
This Italian spinach pie can be served warm or at room temperature. I prefer it at room temperature, as the flavors settle nicely. It also tastes even better the next day after resting in the fridge.
Serve it on its own for a simple meal, or pair it with a fresh green salad with vinaigrette or Yogurt Dressing or a tomato salad. A light yogurt sauce or garlic sauce also goes well on the side. For a fuller meal, you can serve it with roasted vegetables or alongside Cast-Iron Skillet Chicken Breast or fish.
This recipe is inspired by an older Italian cookbook that I have been using for many years (published in German). It is one of my favorite sources for traditional Italian home cooking. Other recipes inspired by the same cookbook include Italian Rabbit Stew, Slow Cooker Osso Buco, and Italian Polenta Spinach Bake.
Italian Spinach Pie - Torta Pasqualina
Equipment
- Large pot
- Bowls - 2 small, 1 medium, 1 large
- Rolling Pin
- springform 7-8 inches/ 18-20 cm, Note 1
- Small brush
Ingredients
Dough (Note 2):
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup water + 1-2 tablespoons more if required
Spinach filling:
- 1 lb spinach
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons marjoram
- 1 slice white bread 1 oz/ 30 g weighed after removing the crust
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ricotta Note 3
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan freshly grated
Spinach pie:
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 oz butter
- 4 large eggs
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Dough:
- Make pie dough: Place the flour and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix briefly until crumbly. Add the water and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of water only if the dough feels too dry; this depends on the flour. Turn the dough onto the work surface and knead by hand for another 2 minutes.2 cups all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons olive oil + ½ cup water
- Divide the dough into 6 (or 8 parts if you are feeling particularly motivated - Note 4). Place them on a floured kitchen towel and cover with a damp towel (not wet, just lightly damp).
- Rest the dough for about 1 hour.
- Make the filling right away, as the spinach needs time to cool before mixing it with the other ingredients.
Spinach filling:
- Cook the spinach: Remove the large stems from the spinach. Wash it well in a colander and place it, still wet, into a large pot. Cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until wilted. If the pot is too small, cook in batches.1 lb spinach
- Cool spinach: Return the spinach to the colander and let it cool until you can handle it.
- Squeeze the spinach well with your hands to remove excess water. Place it on a cutting board, chop it, then transfer it to a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and marjoram and mix.1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 ½ teaspoons marjoram
- Soak bread: Remove the crust from the bread and tear it into pieces. Place in a small bowl and cover with milk. Let it soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients.1 slice white bread + ¼ cup milk
- Filling: Crack the egg into a large bowl and beat it with a fork. Gently squeeze the soaked bread, add it to the bowl, and mix, mashing it with the fork. Add ricotta and Parmesan and mix well. Add the chopped spinach and fold everything together.1 large egg + bread + 1 cup ricotta + 2 tablespoons Parmesan
Assemble the spinach pie:
- Prepare springform: Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Brush the springform with oil, both the bottom and the sides. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Place some oil in a small bowl for brushing the dough.2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Roll the dough layers: Place one dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a large circle, then gently stretch it further with your hands, as you would for strudel dough, until very thin. It should be large enough to cover the pan and extend over the edges, and thin enough that you can almost see your hand through it.
- Line the springform with dough: Place the first sheet of dough into the prepared springform, letting it cover the sides and hang slightly over the edge. If it doesn't fully cover the pan, don't worry - just cover as much as possible and adjust with the next layer.
- Brush the dough lightly with oil.
- Repeat with another 2 pieces of dough (or 3 if you decided to make 4 layers), brushing each layer with oil, but leave the last one unbrushed.
- Fill the pie: Add the spinach filling to the pan and smooth the surface. Make four small indentations with a spoon. Place a tiny piece of butter into each indentation.
- Add eggs: Carefully crack one egg into each indentation. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.4 large eggs + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- Cover the pie: Roll and stretch the remaining dough pieces one by one. Place them over the filling and brush each layer with oil, including the last one.
- Finish the edges: Break the remaining butter into very small pieces and place them close together all around the edge of the pie. Fold the overhanging dough edges inward over the butter, rolling and pressing them lightly to seal the edge. Brush the top lightly with oil.1 oz butter
- Prick the top gently with a toothpick in several places, without going too deep, so you don't pierce the eggs.
- Bake the spinach pie for about 75 minutes until the filling is set and feels firm to the touch. If the top is getting too dark, cover loosely with foil - check after about 45 minutes.
- Serve Italian pie: Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing it. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Springform: You can use a 7 or 8-inch pan; the filling and the 4 eggs fit in both. A 7-inch pan is easier to line with dough, but the pie needs a few more minutes in the oven. I used an 8-inch pan this time; the pie was a bit flatter, but there was no other difference.
- Shortcut with puff pastry: You can use about 1 lb/ 450 g puff pastry instead of homemade dough. Line the pan with one sheet, add the filling, then cover with another sheet and seal the edges. Prick the top lightly. The baking time will be similar, but start checking after 30-35 minutes, as puff pastry browns faster. Cover loosely with foil if it gets too dark.
- Ricotta: Use firm ricotta. If it looks very wet, let it sit in a sieve for a short time before using. Otherwise, it can be used as is.
- Number of layers: You can keep things easier by making 3 layers for the bottom and 3 for the top. In this case, the dough balls are slightly larger, which makes them easier to roll and stretch to the right size. If you want more of a challenge, divide the dough into 8 pieces and make 4 layers for the bottom and 4 for the top - this takes a bit more practice. Keep in mind that the top layers are easier to handle, as they don't need to be rolled as large; once the filling is in the pan, they only need to cover the surface, not the full height of the sides.
Leave a Reply