“Torta Pasqualina” A Savory Pie Served at Easter

Directions

• Prepare gluten-free puff pastry:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, xanthan gum, and salt. Mix well
     then add butter, shortening and mix using a dough cutter or rub the
     mixture with your fingers to the consistency of breadcrumbs. Butter should
     be pea sized.
  2. In a small bowl, mix eggs and two tablespoons of water then add to the flour
     and mix using a fork. Gradually add water, one tablespoon at a time and
     mix until the dough comes together and begins to form a sticky dough.
  3. Transfer dough to a working surface and knead until you have a very soft
     smooth dough. Divide the dough into two equal parts, shape each piece into
     a ball, then tightly wrap each piece with plastic and place in the refrigerator
     for 2 hours or overnight.

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• Prepare the filling:

  1. Blanch spinach in a large pot of salted boiling water until bright green and
     slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Then drain the spinach and let it cool.
     Once cooled, squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Transfer
     spinach to a cutting board to chop.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add ricotta and mix well then add 1 egg, parmigiano
     cheese, salt, pepper and mix well. Add chopped spinach and mix until well
     combined.

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• Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat oven at 355 degrees F and butter a 9-inch springform pan then line
     with parchment paper.
  2. Remove dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for
     10 minutes. Transfer one piece of dough to a lightly dusted working surface,
     dust the top of the dough and roll out to about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick. If it
     begins to stick, add additional flour. Using your rolling pin, carefully lift the
     pastry and place it into your prepared pan. Don’t worry about trimming
     overhanging dough just yet. Use your fingers to press the sides of the pie
     into the ridges of the dish and prick the bottom all over with a fork.
  3. Transfer ricotta and spinach mixture to the pie dish and level out the top
     with a spatula. Using the back of a spoon, or an espresso cup, make 4 small
     holes in the spinach mixture and break one egg in each of the holes. Then
     place the pan in the refrigerator while rolling out the second piece of dough.
  4. Roll out the second piece of dough, remove pan from the refrigerator, and
     gently place it over the top of the mixture. Remove excess pastry using your
     hands or roll a rolling pin over the top of the pan. Then fold the two layers of
     pastry it towards the inside of the pan to seal the pie. If you like, you can
     use excess pastry to make festive decorations for the top.
  5. Whisk the remaining egg, brush it over the lid, then prick a few times with a
     fork. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown in color. If the surface gets too
     dark, cover it with aluminium foil shiny side up.
  6. Let it cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing. Serve warm or at
     room temperature.

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