savory-easter-tart

Easter is a time of new beginnings. Of transformation and rebirth. So, why not give a traditional dish new life with a modern update? That’s precisely what I was thinking when I did a riff on the classic Italian Easter pie, Torta Pasqualina, to create my Savory Easter Tart. Don’t get me wrong—I love Torta Pasqualina with its layer-upon-layer olive oil pastry crust and whole cooked eggs nestled in thick swaths of ricotta and greens filling. But let’s be honest—the dish can be a bit weighty both on the stomach and the work load—so I decided to revamp it for contemporary tastes and cooks that don’t have time to preapre elaborate dishes into this lighter and more elegant appetizer for Easter lunch.

savory-easter-tart-cut

I set about deconstructing and redesigning the original pie using (more or less) the same ingredients for their magical flavor combination—only elaborated and arranged differently. Since my memory was still vivid of first spying a rarified version of torta pasqualina in an upscale Milan gastronomic shop and marveling at the carefully arranged ribbons of green, white, and pink ingredients framing whole cooked eggs inside—I wanted to achieve a pastel-colored ribbon effect in a low profile, tidy tart. So, instead of mixing all the elements together and breaking whole eggs into divets in the filling, I divide my Savory Easter Tart into stratas and beat the eggs in a creamy custard to pour over separate layers of spinach and ricotta filling, diced ham, and fontina cheese. The result is an open face, multi-layer tart that in Italy is called torta salata—or savory tart similar to French quiche.

savory-easter-tart-slice-side

Then, in lieu of the anywhere from six to thirty-three layers of olive oil pastry layers with top and bottom crusts in the classic version, I line my tart pan with a single sheet of rich butter and egg pastry dough that is super flaky yet sturdy enough to hold a fancy border. Once the pastry shell is filled, I roll the overhanging dough inward to create a fat cord edge then cut it diagonally with scissors to form pointy “beaks”. This border is inspired by the savory tarts of Lucca that are customarily adorned with a golden crown of pastry becchi. During baking, the pastry puffs up (thanks to the butter and eggs) into fine, golden layers, creating a satisfyingly crisp base for the creamy, tender filling.

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So, there you have it—a behind the scenes look at creating a modern twist on a traditional holiday dish! I hope you like my Savory Easter Tart and will make it for your friends and family. Let me know in the comments below.

This Easter, I’m celebrating new beginnings, transformation and rebirth in cooking and beyond and wish you Happy Easter, Buona Pasqua, and buon appetito!

From my kitchen to your family table,

Deborah

SAVORY EASTER TART
Torta Salata Pasquale

Created by Deborah Dal Fovo on April 15, 2019

This savory tart is my riff on the traditional Torta Pasqualina, an elaborate Italian Easter pie made with multiple layers of pastry dough and filled with whole eggs. My modern version uses the same ingredients and rearranges them in elegant, colorful layers to capture the same magical flavors with less fuss. ©2019 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

Prep Time: 45m
Cook Time: 40m

Serves: 8
Yield: One 9-inch tart
Category: Antipasti - Appetizers, Baked Goods, Eggs, First Courses - Primi, Recipes, Tarts, Verdure - Vegetables

Ingredients

For the pastry dough:

1¾ cups/250g unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons/113g unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 large eggs

For the tart filling:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons/29g butter, plus more to grease tart pan
1 shallot, finely minced
2 tablespoons water
1 pound/455g spinach in bunch (or 8 ounces/227g spinach leaves)
½ cup/125g ricotta cheese, strained of excess moisture if needed
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, finely chopped
3½ ounces/100g sliced cooked ham, cut into small dice
3½ ounces/100g fontina cheese, cut into small dice
1 cup/250ml heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon for egg wash
3 large eggs
¼ cup/38g freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground white or black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
Special equipment: 9-inch round tart or pie pan

Instructions

Make the pastry dough by placing flour and salt in a large bowl and whisking to sift together. Add the cold butter pieces and toss in the flour to to coat. Rub the butter between your fingers until a crumbly mixture forms. Add the eggs and stir with a fork to combine then work the dough lightly with your hands until it holds together. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth (without overworking) then shape into a round, flat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Trim off the stems from the spinach bunch and discard. Rinse the leaves well in several changes of cold water and drain. Place the spinach with water clinging in a large skillet or sauté pan with a tight fitting lid. Sprinkle with salt then cover and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes or until leaves are tender, stirring occasionally and adding a small amount of water if needed to prevent scorching. The spinach will reduce in mass considerably as it cooks. Lift the cooked spinach out of the pan and transfer to an ice water bath for a couple of minutes then drain well (this will preserve its green color). Gather the spinach into a ball with your hands and squeeze well to eliminate all excess moisture, then place of a cutting board and chop finely.
Heat the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the butter, minced shallots, pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons water in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallots until softened and all water has evaporated without browning,, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped spinach, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, stirring to coat spinach with the cooking oils. Remove from heat, transfer to a mixing bowl and cool completely. When cool, add the ricotta and chopped marjoram and mix well.
Using a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry dough into a 15-inch circle. Transfer the sheet of pastry to a buttered tart tin, centering it in the pan, and smoothly line the sides and bottom with dough. Roll the overhanging dough into a border then pinch, cut or mark to create a decorative edge (I roll it toward the center then make diagonal cuts to form beaks). Place tart shell on a baking sheet in the refrigerator until needed.
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
Heat the cream in a small saucepan until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan but without boiling. In a medium bowl, beat 2 of the eggs well together with grated cheese then slowly add the warm cream, a little at a time, while whisking continuously. Season the egg mixture with ½ teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper, and nutmeg if desired.
Spread the spinach ricotta mixture evenly over bottom of the tart crust. Sprinkle with a layer of chopped ham then with a layer of chopped fontina cheese. Carefully pour the egg mixture over top. Prepare an egg wash by beating the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon cream then brush the pastry border with the wash.
Place the tart in lower half of the hot oven and bake for about 40 minutes until the custard is set and the pastry is deep golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.