Torta Pasqualina: the Ligurian recipe loved throughout Italy

Torta Pasqualina: preparation tips

Here are some useful recommendations for a cake that will really win everyone over:

• Use fresh spinach: it may seem like an irrelevant detail, but it's not! Fresh spinach has a whole other flavor!
• Prepare the dough in advance: if you have the time and opportunity, make brisée or puff pastry and let it rest in the refrigerator before using it. This will ensure a perfect base for your pie.
• Boil spinach properly: when boiling spinach, be sure not to overcook it to prevent it from becoming too soft. Once boiled, drain it well and squeeze it to remove excess water.
• Drain the ricotta: If your ricotta is very wet, you may want to drain it for a few hours in a colander lined with a clean dish towel. This will help remove excess water and make your cake less watery.
• Score the cake: before baking, make small cuts in the surface of the pastry to allow steam to escape during baking. This will help prevent the pie from over puffing.
• Foil in baking: cover the cake with foil if it starts to brown too much before the filling is fully cooked.

EVO oil: essential for your Torta Pasqualina!

Extra virgin olive oil is a key ingredient in our torta pasqualina for many reasons:

• Used instead of butter in the dough, it makes it lighter and more digestible.
• It helps keep the cake crumbly longer.
• If brushed on the surface of the cake, it makes it golden and crispy.

EVO oil is also extremely healthy:

• It contains many "good" fats, which help regulate blood cholesterol levels.
• It is digestible and does not go to burden the liver.