Easter cake

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 250 g flour (type 550)
• 100 ml water, about
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 kg spinach, fresh
• 2 liters of boiling water
• 150 g ricotta
• 1 shallot(s), finely diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 slice(s) white bread, Italian, dry, crust removed, diced
• 20 ml milk for soaking
• 60 g Parmesan, grated
• salt and pepper
• 6 eggs
• 1 egg yolk for brushing
• Olive oil for the mold and for brushing
• Flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 5 minutes

Torta di Pasqualina, a Ligurian specialty

First, make the dough. There are three ways: Mix all the ingredients, knead thoroughly, and form 6 small balls. Cover and let rest for 1 hour. Roll one of the balls out as thinly as possible with a rolling pin on a floured table. Place the dough in an oiled springform pan, overlapping the raised edge by about 1 cm. Lightly oil the dough and place a second and third layer of dough on top. You can also run the dough balls through the pasta machine several times, using the narrowest setting, and then layer these square sheets, oiled, on top of each other in the pan. The advantage is that it’s easier to roll them out very thinly with the machine; the disadvantage is that square sheets for a round shape result in more waste. A third option is to buy ready-made strudel dough from the refrigerated section. Save half of the dough for the final step. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Let the white bread soak in the milk. Sort the spinach, wash thoroughly, and place it in a sieve. Slowly pour 2 liters of boiling water over it, pressing out all the liquid. Sauté the shallot in oil until soft, add the spinach, and cook until cooked through, then season with salt and pepper and roughly chop. Mix the spinach with the soaked bread, Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, and ricotta, then season well to taste. Spread the mixture over the dough, smooth it out, and make 6 evenly spaced indentations, placing a beaten egg in each one. Make sure the egg yolks remain intact. Make three thin layers of dough again, oiling all layers except the top one, and carefully place them on top. Roll the overlapping layers inward and press down to create a thick edge. Mix the egg yolk with a little oil and brush it over the top layer of dough. Bake in the oven at 180°C for approximately 45-50 minutes, loosely covering with aluminum foil if the layer becomes too dark. Serve lukewarm.