Italy's signature Easter treat is torta pasqualina, a savory pie that's as beautiful as it is delicious.
Torta Pasqualina
Updated on Mar. 07, 2025
Eaten in Italy as part of the traditional Easter Sunday meal, torta pasqualina is a savory pie that can be served with fresh salad, vegetables and hot coffee. This easy vegetarian version features a stunning green filling and whole pieces of egg in every slice.
What is torta pasqualina?
Torta pasqualina, or Easter pie, is one of the most traditional Italian Easter dishes. Our recipe starts with a buttery dough for a double-crust pie, which gets filled with ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and whole eggs.
Recipes for torta pasqualina vary across Italy. This recipe for Italian Easter pie is originally from Genoa, the capital of Liguria in Northwest Italy. In the central Italian region of Abruzzo there’s pizza rustica, which almost looks like a double-crust quiche filled with soppressata, prosciutto and cheeses. Further south, near Naples, the ingredients can include cured meats as well as fresh sausage. Some recipes make Easter pie with puff pastry and spring greens, including Swiss chard or spinach. Artichokes, too!
But for torta pasqualina, it’s really all about the eggs. In some areas, people hide hard-boiled eggs under the crust, while others carefully break uncooked eggs into the filling before baking. Either way, the result is a beautifully cooked egg that’ revealed when the pie is sliced. Make sure you score the dough above the eggs, so you know where to cut for serving.
Ingredients for Torta Pasqualina
- Pastry: From-scratch pastry is worth the effort (which is hardly any at all!). You’ll need all-purpose flour, butter, sugar, a bit of salt and some ice water to make the buttery, flaky crust.
- Spinach: Frozen spinach is already cooked, so there’s no need to take that extra step when making this torta pasqualina recipe. Instead, just thaw the spinach and squeeze it dry. You don’t want the Easter spinach pie to be watery.
- Ricotta: Whole milk ricotta adds richness to the filling. You can use part-skim ricotta, but whole-milk ricotta will make this pie the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: The real deal—Parmigiano Reggiano, not Parmesan—is nutty, rich and complex. If you can, always opt for this certified-Italian cheese over its acidic and salty copy.
- Eggs: This is an eight-egg recipe: Three eggs bind the filling, and five hard-boiled eggs are arranged on top of the filling before being covered with pastry.
- Extra virgin olive oil: When a recipe calls for this much olive oil, splurge for a top-notch one. The best olive oil will be floral, buttery and rich with a golden-green hue.
Directions
Step 1: Make the dough
In a food processor, pulse the flour and butter just until the butter is the size of peas. Add the sugar and salt and pulse to combine.
While pulsing, gradually add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pressed.
Step 2: Chill the dough
Divide the dough into two-thirds- and one-third-sized pieces. Shape each portion into a disk, then wrap each piece and refrigerate them for one hour or overnight.
Step 3: Fit the dough into the pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough to a 12-inch circle, then line the dough on the bottom and press up the side of a greased 9-inch springform pan or deep-dish pie pan.
Step 4: Whip up the filling
Reserve two tablespoons of beaten egg for the egg wash, then place the remaining egg in a large bowl with the ricotta.
Beat the mixture until it’s smooth, then stir in the spinach, Parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper until combined.
Spoon the filling into the crust.
Place the shelled hard-boiled eggs in an evenly spaced circle on top of the filling, pressing them down into the spinach filling.
Step 5: Top the pie with the dough
Roll out the remaining dough to an 11-inch circle, then place it over the filling. Trim the excess pie dough and seal the edges.
Cut five slits in the top pie crust to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush the egg wash over the crust.
Step 6: Bake the torta pasqualina
Pop the torta pasqualina in the oven and bake it until the crust is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about one hour. Allow the pie to cool a bit, and serve it warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Variations
- Omit the hard-boiled eggs: You will need the three eggs for the filling, but if you’re trying to cut down on eggs because of the price or for other reasons, feel free to omit the five hard-boiled eggs.
- Add herbs: Brighten the filling with the herbaceous flavors of fresh herbs like marjoram, oregano, thyme and tarragon. A little goes a long way, though, so use them sparingly!
How to Store Torta Pasqualina
Once the torta pasqualina has cooled completely to room temperature, wrap it in storage wrap or place slices in an airtight container. The Easter pie can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.
Can you freeze torta pasqualina?
Yes, you can freeze torta pasqualina. Once the Italian Easter pie has cooled to room temperature, wrap it well in storage wrap and put in a freezer-friendly bag. Or, slice the pie into portions and wrap each piece individually to freeze. To reheat, let the torta come to room temperature then reheat it in the oven or microwave until it’s warmed through.
Torta Pasqualina Tips
Can you use fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach?
Yes, you can use fresh spinach instead of frozen. Cook the spinach down until it’s fully wilted, then drain the excess water. Chop up the spinach and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Is torta pasqualina vegetarian?
Yes, torta pasqualina is vegetarian. There are no meat or fish products in this savory pie, making it perfect for your vegetarian Easter dinner.
What do you serve with torta pasqualina?
Torta pasqualina is best served with a crunchy, refreshing green salad, roasted vegetables and almost any great Easter side dish. I love it with au gratin potatoes, parsnip puree, golden and flaky popovers and Parmesan risotto.
Torta Pasqualina
Prep Time
35 min
Cook Time
1 hour
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water
- FILLING:
- 3 large eggs, beaten, divided
- 1-3/4 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 2 pounds frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- 5 hard-boiled large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
Directions
- Place flour and butter in a food processor; pulse until butter is the size of peas. Add sugar and salt; pulse to combine. While pulsing, gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough into two-thirds- and one-third-sized pieces. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll larger piece of dough to a 12-in. circle; line bottom and press up side of a greased 9-in. springform pan or deep dish pie pan.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons beaten egg for egg wash. Place remaining egg in a large bowl with ricotta; beat until smooth. Stir in spinach, parmesan, oil, salt and pepper. Spoon into crust. Place the hard-boiled eggs in an evenly spaced circle, pressing them down into the spinach filling. Roll remaining dough to an 11-in. circle. Place over filling. Trim and seal edge. Cut five slits in top.
- In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush over crust.
- Bake until crust is golden brown and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
1 piece: 661 calories, 44g fat (22g saturated fat), 272mg cholesterol, 939mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 5g fiber), 23g protein.
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Italian Easter pie, otherwise known as torta pasqualina, is a traditional holiday dish served on Easter in Italy. Whole, hard-boiled eggs are placed on top of the spinach filling but underneath the top layer of pastry to create slices that are striking and impressive. —Anna Gass, New Canaan, Connecticut
Recipe Creator
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