Torta pascualina (also known as torta pasqualina) is a traditional Easter dish of Italian origin. This delicious spinach and ricotta pie comes from the region of Liguria, in the north of Italy, where it can be traced back to the fifteenth century.
Imported into Argentina and Uruguay by Italian immigrants during the great immigration wave of the early twentieth century, torta pascualina is now part of the culinary heritage of these two countries in the same way as dulce de leche, vitel toné (vitello tonnato) or milanesa.
Torta pascualina is traditionally associated with the Easter holiday for several reasons. First, because it does not contain meat, it is often prepared during Lent. The eggs it contains are also, in the Christian tradition, one of the symbols of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some even see in the dough a reference to the passion of Jesus, since the phyllo dough version of pascualina is supposed to include thirty-three layers of dough, in reference to the age of the latter at the time of his death. Not all the pascualina recipes require phyllo dough, however, and the one I have chosen to bake here uses shortcrust dough instead.
In Uruguay, Pascualina can be enjoyed year-round, and not just around Easter time. Nutritive and easy to preserve, it can be found everywhere, from bakeries to street food stalls or cafes.
There are several varieties of pascualina. We have already mentioned the two possible choices of dough, but other differences also exist, whether in the recipe or the ingredients. The recipe that I chose to make uses a mix of Swiss chard and spinach, but it is possible to use either one or the other. The spices used also vary by country. The original Italian version calls for salt and pepper only, while the South American version often incorporates nutmeg. Red peppers are also optional. Finally, the cooking mode varies from one recipe to the other. In some recipes, the eggs are placed raw into the stuffing, and they bake together with the rest of the preparation. In others, like my version, the eggs are hard-boiled before cooking.
Spinach is an ingredient that has often been honored on 196 flavors, be it fried in my favorite dish, the pkaila, or blended into the famous phyllo dough based Greek pie spanakópita. Yet, this is the first time that we cook Swiss chards.
We tasted this pie a little before Easter this year, and both children and adults enjoyed it, accompanied by a green salad and fresh tomatoes. So, don’t resist the temptation.
Pascualina
Ingredients
For the pascualina
- 2 discs shortcrust pastry (see recipe below)
- 12 oz fresh spinach
- 1 lb chard (green leaves only)
- 1 red pepper , diced
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion , thinly sliced
- 4 hard boiled eggs , halved
- 2 eggs
- 8 oz. grated mozzarella
- 2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the shortcrust pastry
- 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 lb flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pascualina
- Preheat oven at 350F/180C.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, then add the chard and spinach and blanch for about 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables and drain in a colander. Leave to cool, then squeeze out the excess water in your hands.
- Sauté the onions and peppers in a skillet on medium/high with two tablespoons of oil. After a few minutes, add the chard and spinach. Sauté for another 8 to 10 minutes, while stirring. Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
- In a bowl, combine the raw eggs with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.
- Remove the vegetable preparation from the heat. Add the cheese mixture to it and mix thoroughly. Allow to cool completely.
- In a mold with high edges, place the first disc of dough. The disc should extend about 1 inch )2cm) from the edge of the mold. Fill with the preparation.
- Arrange each half hard-boiled egg regularly on the mixture, with the white on top.
- Cover with the second disc of dough which must also cover about an inch outside the mold. Fold and roll the edges of the two discs together and push them along the edges of the mold.
- Mix a raw egg with a tablespoon of water and brush the top of the pascualina with this preparation. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the dough.
- Bake for about 40 minutes.
- Serve hot or warm.
Shortcrust pastry
- Combine flour and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Add the butter and mix to obtain a crumbly dough. Add about ½ cup (150ml) of water and knead until the dough comes off the edges of the bowl. Add more water if necessary.
- Split the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a circle shape on a floured work surface, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Mike is “the devil” of the 196 flavors’ duo. Nicknamed as such by his friends, he is constantly in search of unusual recipes and techniques with impossible to find ingredients. The devil is always pushing the envelope, whether it is with humor or culinary surprises.
Adriana says
as an Uruguayan I can give you a little tip and I hope you like it, instead of hard boiled eggs, just push the spinach mix down to form a depression, (several of them) and put a raw egg in the little “holes”, then cover with the pastry and bake, the eggs will cook in the oven and will take the shape of the little holes, when you cut the slices of pie, they will be part of the whole and it is always “good luck” to have one of th eggs!!!
Thank you,
🙂
Mike Benayoun says
I love it, Adriana! Thanks so much for sharing this tip as well as the tradition for good luck 😉
Sandra says
I second that, as an Uruguayan who makes pascualina
Elizamae says
I did try this. I used a springform pan, too. Thank you.
Rosalia says
Thanks Mike, great recipe. Back home in Uruguay my mother would add either green or black olives.
May I ask with adding sugar? .
Mike Benayoun says
To be honest, not sure,. Rosalia 😉 But it appears in a number of traditional recipes for pascualina.
Karen says
As an Argentine, I have never seen sugar added to a Pascualina.
claudia says
Yes, absolutely. As another Uruguayan who makes this all the time,I can assure everyone the eggs will be fully cooked when you take the pascualina
out of the oven. Also, we eat pascualina anytime, and quite often. Its isn’t a dish for holidays. I dont know if it was at one time, maybe, because of the name, but nowadays its a very common dish.
claudia says
absolutely, thats how we make it at home too. Im making some right now for my kids to take to school for lunch. They love it and I feel like Im feeding them something healthy. I actually make handles with the filling. Like empanaditas de Pascualina.
Nicole Rossetti le Strange says
It’s a great addition to lunchboxes, isn’t it, Claudia!
Luca says
But is an 100% itaian recipe, and is Pasqualina non Pascualina..from Pasqua = Easter because we use to do in Easter.
Mike Benayoun says
Hey Luca, you are absolutely right that pasqualina (with a q) is originally an Italian recipe. However, it was modified slightly when it migrated to South America and is now a staple in Uruguay, Argentina and other Latin American countries. We will make sure to update the article to reflect this. Thanks so much for your comment!
Paola says
Thank you for your recipe! I’m an uruguayan living in the US and food is one of the things that I miss the most.
Mike Benayoun says
Gracias Paola. I hear you. I am French living in LA and I miss the food I grew up with too 😉
Desiree says
Delicious! It tastes like the Pascualina my mom makes in Uruguay.
It brings me lots of beautiful memories. My boys love it as well!! Deliciosa!! Gracias.
Mike Benayoun says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Desiree. So happy we were able to bring back memories for you and for your boys!
Claudia P says
My family is from Uruguay and this recipe is the only only I use to make pasqualina.
I susbstitue the mozzarella for store bought shredded Italian blend of cheese which contains mozzarella as it seems to add a little extra flavouring and a add a milk wash to the crust right before it goes into the oven as it add a subtle sweetness. And gives it a glaze. My mother always added a milk wash to all savoury pies and empanadas and it makes it that much more special.
Just one thing….the Celsius/Fahrenheit – the temps are reversed – right? In Canada we use Celsius and I cook it at 350 and it’s perfect.
Hands Doing Things says
Hola Claudia! Argentinian fellows here! We love pasqualina as much as you guys do. We also go for the milk wash from time to time and we absolutely love it – discovered it by chance a day we didn’t have eggs… and it was the best thing!
Regarding the temperature, we just checked but it’s actually correct! 180 Celsius or 350 Fahrenheit. However, since it depends on each oven, it may vary!
Aimee Hughes says
I was looking up Good Friday and Easter recipes online. Fortunately for me, this delicious recipe appeared. I don’t know what this is supposed to taste like as I’ve never had it before but I’m definitely going to be making it again.
Hands Doing Things says
Hey Aimee! We’re thrilled to read this – it’s supposed to taste like paradise, haha! We love pascualina and are very happy you loved it too.
Hope says
We left Uruguay over four decades ago and haven’t had the opportunity to meet many Uruguayans where we now live. I was surprised to see cheese in your recipe. My mom never added it and the few families we’ve met in the US didn’t either. I enjoy the flavor of spinach sauteed in onions that have turned sweet without being caramelized. Add to that, an adequate amount of salt and a well made dough and you’ll be surprised at how delicious something so simple can be. Happy to have discovered your recipes.
Hands Doing Things says
Hola Hope! Thanks for this lovely comment. So glad to learn you enjoyed the recipe. Have a great day!
Concetta Martinez says
This is a good recipe. I use the one my mother-in-law from Uruguay taught me. It is similar to the Italian version of the same name that my mother made and to Spanikopita, which I also love.
I prefer all spinach, and we don’t parboil it first.
I saute green onion and red pepper and garlic (we are garlic lovers), then add the raw spinach, cover it and within minutes it is finished.
I use pastry dough, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and sliced black olives. Sometimes, I add some feta cheese to the mix. Then top with sliced boiled eggs before adding top pastry dough and proceed as done here. I have never tried adding raw eggs, but will when I make it as an appetizer for Easter.
Hands Doing Things says
Thanks for your lovely comment! Let us know how it turns out these Easters. Enjoy!!!