Torta Pasqualina with Spinach and Eggs

📝 Ingredients

• 1 kg frozen whole-leaf spinach
• 1 brown onion (about 100 g) + 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil (1 for the filling, 2 for the pastry)
• 250 g ricotta
• 60 g grated Parmesan (40 g for the filling, 20 g for the eggs)
• 6 eggs (2 for the filling, 4 for cracking whole into the pie)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 250 g filo pastry (1 packet, about 10 sheets)
• Nutmeg, salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• 24 cm round cake tin
• Mixing bowl
• Frying pan
• Pastry brush
• Clean tea towel
• Serrated knife

📖 Steps

1. Thaw the spinach for 10 to 12 minutes in the microwave (or the day before in the fridge), then squeeze it hard in your hands, a handful at a time, over the sink to remove as much water as possible. Chop it roughly: a dry filling is the key to crisp pastry.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Fry them for 3 minutes in 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat, add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to evaporate the remaining moisture. Leave to cool slightly for 10 minutes in the mixing bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Add the ricotta, 40 g of Parmesan, the oregano, 2 beaten eggs, a pinch of nutmeg, some pepper and a little salt to the spinach, as the Parmesan is already salty. Mix until you have a thick, even filling.
4. Keep the filo pastry under a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry out. Brush the tin with oil, then lay 6 sheets in it one by one, fanning them out like the rays of a star, brushing each with a little oil and leaving plenty overhanging the edges.
5. Pour in the filling and spread it in an even layer. Make 4 well-spaced hollows with the back of a spoon and carefully crack a whole egg into each one, keeping the yolk intact. Sprinkle the eggs and filling with the remaining 20 g of Parmesan.
6. Cover with the remaining 4 sheets, oiled and laid flat without pressing so as not to break the yolks. Fold the overhanging edges towards the centre, crumpling them slightly, then brush the whole top with the remaining oil.
7. Bake for 45 minutes on the middle shelf, until the pie is golden and crisp. If the top browns too quickly after 30 minutes, cover it with a sheet of baking paper for the rest of the cooking time.
8. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before removing from the tin, so the filling can firm up. Cut into 4 slices with a serrated knife, locating the eggs by the small bumps on top: each slice should contain a whole egg, which appears in the centre of the cut.