Torta Pasqualina alla California

Name: Torta Pasqualina alla California
Ingredients: 1 lb braising greens, i.e., chard, kale, mustard, spinach, pea-sprouts, etc.; Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sautéing and brushing between layers of phyllo; ½ cup chopped onion; 12 oz fresh ricotta, drained per instructions below or at least an hour ahead of time.; 2 oz parmesan, grated; 7 eggs (5 of them are optional); ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; salt and pepper to taste; 8 oz (half a box) frozen phyllo dough, thawed the day before per directions below

Torta Pasqualina [literally "little Easter cake"] is a traditional Ligurian recipe of greens, ricotta, and whole eggs baked inside a savory spring torta.

We use tender greens from our cover crop in place of frozen spinach in this California version, and substitute easy-to-use phyllo sheets, generously brushed with olive oil, instead of the traditional olive oil dough.

The idea is simple: flaky pastry encasing a savory ricotta custard with chopped greens. If you choose to include the whole eggs, they reveal themselves in the sliced torta as a beautiful herald of spring.

Donald brings in 1 lb of greens from our cover crop

Torta Pasqualina shown unbaked without phyllo top with greens and eggs visible.

Donald's hands can be seen placing phyllo on top of an unbaked Torta Pasqualina

A man's hands fold phyllo over to make a crispy ridge around the perimeter of an 8" round torta

Torta Pasqualina is shown still in it's tall 8" steel ring, but now baked to a golden brown.

Crispy delicate phyllo is showcased in this image of Torta Pasqualina

Torta Pasqualina alla California

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We used an 8" ring on top of a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Our yield was 8 servings.

Ingredients

1 lb braising greens, i.e., chard, kale, mustard, spinach, pea-sprouts, etc.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sautéing and brushing between layers of phyllo
½ cup chopped onion
12 oz fresh ricotta, drained per instructions below or at least an hour ahead of time.
2 oz parmesan, grated
7 eggs (5 of them are optional)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz (half a box) frozen phyllo dough, thawed the day before per directions below

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Directions

The Day Before

Thaw box of phyllo overnight in the refrigerator the day before you prepare your torta
Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the water from the ricotta.

Making the Torta Filling

Rinse the greens and use a salad spinner to remove the excess water. Coarsely chop.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add just enough olive oil to thinly cover the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped greens and sauté just until the greens have wilted. You might have to do this in more than one batch, again using just enough oil to thinly cover the bottom of the sauté pan each time. Once they have wilted place them into a mesh strainer and allow them to cool. Once cool squeeze out the excess water. Place the cooled wilted and drained greens on a cutting board and chopped finely. Set aside.
In the same sauté pan add more olive oil just to cover the pan and add the chopped onion. Sauté for about 3 minutes just until translucent. allow to cool.
In a large mixing bowl combine the drained ricotta, chopped cooked and drained greens, sautéed onion, two of the eggs and the grated parmesan cheese. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the stack of phyllo dough sheets from the box onto a board and cover with a clean damp kitchen towel to keep the sheets from drying.
Preheat the oven to 375°F
If you want to unmold this dish before service use an 8” springform pan or metal ring placed on a sheet pan for this next step. Otherwise use an oven safe casserole dish from which to serve.

Assembling the Torta

Working with one phyllo sheet at a time, lay the sheet out on the board in front of you and apply a small amount of olive oil directly onto the phyllo. You don’t need a lot.; use a pastry brush to gently coat the sheet and then place the oiled phyllo into the bottom of the baking dish you are using. You might find if easier to cut the oiled sheets into smaller more manageable pieces before you place them into the pan. Keep placing the oiled sheets of dough into the pan and up the sides of the pan, slowly building up the layers. Allow the sheets to hang ever the sides by about two inches as you work. You will roll and push the overhanging sides into the dish to create a thicker rim when you are done. Build up the thickness of the layers of phyllo until you have 1/4 inch.
Add the filling and smooth evenly. If you are adding the whole eggs deeply press five egg shaped indentations evenly around the filling. Carefully break each of the five remaining eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and use this to pour the eggs, one at a time, into the wells you created in the filling.
Build the top crust by repeating the process of adding oiled phyllo layers all over the top and over the sides of the pan until you have a 1/4 inch layer of dough. Roll the overhanging layers towards the center of the pan to create the rim of dough. The dough will be brittle at this point but don’t worry about this. The oil will soften it enough to allow you to make a rough edge by crimping and rolling them to form a rim for the torte. Once this browns in the oven it will look much better.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the top is well browned and the filling is set. If you are using whole eggs inside of the torte you will need to test the temperature of the torte to make sure the eggs have set fully. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the torte should read 160°F.