Torta Pasqualina (easy savory pie)

This is for the ones who love sharing recipes with their friends (and get compliments).

The Torta Pasqualina (from Pasqua = Easter) is a savory pie usually made during the Easter holidays. Each Region calls it differently, but we all make it for a reason: it's the perfect dish to bring to Pasquetta aka Easter Monday. Which is a big deal for us.

Torta Pasqualina

Why do we care so much about Easter Monday?

It Italy there is a say "Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi", it means "Celebrate Christmas with the family, Easter with whomever you like". On Easter Monday, everyone gathers with their friends for a pic-nic at someone's countryside home or at a park. For that day, people like to show off by preparing pies, salads, and amazing desserts. Join the Italian tradition, and show off your cooking skills with an original Italian pie!

The filling

INGREDIENTS:

This recipe makes about 6 servings of plant-based Torta Pasqualina and takes around 1 hour or so. Want to learn how to make more Italian food? Check our workshops!

• 2 rolls of puff pastry (bladerdeeg)

• 1 kg fresh spinach (or chard)

• 1 leek

• 200 g firm tofu

• 2 spoons nutritional yeast

• 1 spoon chickpea flour (optional)

• 3 spoons olive oil

• salt, pepper and nutmeg taste

+ Macchè tip

• 200 g mushrooms

• garlic

THE RECIPE:

Cook the veggies Wash the fresh spinach and cook it in a large pan at high flame with a drizzle of olive oil for just a minute. Once they soften up, turn off the flame and move them to a bowl. Then season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the base Slice the leek thinly and sauté it in a pan with olive oil until soft. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let everything cook together for a few minutes so the flavors combine.

Make the filling Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add crumbled tofu, nutritional yeast, and chickpea flour (optional). Mix well until you get a creamy but structured filling. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Assemble the pie Line a baking tray with one sheet of pastry, keeping the edges up to give it the pie shape. Fill it with the spinach mixture and level it out. Cover with the second sheet of pastry and seal the edges with a fork. Brush some olive oil and salt on top.

Bake the torta

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 40–45 minutes, until golden and crispy on top.

Together is better

Let the torta cool slightly before slicing it.

MACCHÈ TIPS:

Clen up a couple of garlic cloves, and pull or cut the mushrooms in small pieces. Warm up a large pan, then drop the garlic and mushrooms together and stir for a minute. Then, once almost cooked, add a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Remove the garlic, and add the mushrooms to the torta filling.

Italian countryside