Go Back
Print Recipe
5 from 37 reviews

Italian Easter Torta (Torta Pasqualina)

Author: Roz

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1 package dried porcini mushrooms soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and drained
  • 2 tablespoons 1/4 stick butter
  • 1 pound fresh spinach
  • 1 can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 large garlic cloves minced
  • 4 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 pounds ricotta cheese drained
  • 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 4 Tbsp. flour

Layers of Italian Meats and Cheeses

  • ½ cup asiago cheese shredded or sliced
  • 1 large ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese sliced
  • ¼ lb. provolone cheese shredded or sliced
  • ½ cup pancetta cubed or sliced thin
  • ¼ cup mortadella cubed or sliced thin
  • 4 oz. hot cappicola cibed or sliced thin
  • ¼ lb. prosciutto cubed or sliced thin
  • 4 oz. soprassetta cubed or sliced thin
  • 4 oz. Genoa salami cubed or sliced thin
  • 4 oz. pepperoni cubed or sliced thin

Pie Dough

  • Use your favorite high-quality pie dough recipe

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Place dried porcini mushrooms in bowl of hot water to plump up for about 30 minutes, drain.
  • In buttered saucepan, saute' the mushrooms for 5 minutes.
  • In separate large frying/sauce pan, in olive oil, cook the spinach for 2 minutes.
  • In another sauce pan, in olive oil, cook artichokes for 5 minutes.
  • In another small sauce pan, in olive oil, sauté garlic.
  • Add all of these together, except the spinach, set it aside for the assembly of torta.
  • Add in the parsley.
  • Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, blend ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, whipping cream, and flour.
  • Add the mushroom, artichoke, garlic, parsley mixture to the cheese-egg mixture.
  • Assembly of Torta
  • Spray/grease a 10" springform pan
  • Roll out pie dough so that it is wide enough to cover both the bottom and sides of the baking pan.
  • Pour in about 2 inches of the cheese-egg-artichoke filling mixture.
  • Bake for about 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and alternate layers of remaining cheeses and Italian meats, except the mozzarella.
  • Layer the cooked spinach on top.
  • Layer the slices of mozzarella on top of spinach.
  • Pour remaining cheese-egg-mushroom-artichoke mixture over the meat and cheese layers.
  • Place a top layer of pie dough on top and baste with an egg wash.
  • Bake for 70 - 80 minutes, using aluminum foil to prevent dough from burning.

Notes

  • Adapted with several major adjustments to a recipe found on "The Italian Dish".