Torta Pasqualina (Italian Spinach Easter Pie)
Updated Feb 03, 2026, Published Mar 11, 2024
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Torta pasqualina (Italian spinach Easter pie) is a traditional savory pie featuring spinach, creamy ricotta, and egg filling baked in a golden puff pastry shell. This is a well-loved traditional Italian recipe that takes just 20 minutes of prep. You might want to make this for every Easter dinner!
If you’re looking for more Italian Easter recipes, don’t miss these amazing ones for sweet Italian Easter rice pie and Italian ricotta pie.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: 5 people
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian; can be made Gluten Free
- Method: Oven Baked
- Technique: Blanch the spinach and squeeze out extra moisture, then combine the filling ingredients. Assemble the torta with the puff pastry, brush with egg, and bake until golden.
- Flavor & Texture: This torta pasqualina has a cheesy spinach filling with hints of nutmeg and beautiful whole eggs hidden in every slice.
Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite
The combination of delicious spinach, creamy ricotta cheese, and savory Parmigiano creates a flavorful and satisfying filling. I love adding nutmeg for subtle warmth, and using store-bought puff pastry makes it convenient and quick.
This torta pasqualina recipe is a crowd-pleaser at any special event. It’s one of my favorite traditional Italian Easter recipes and it makes a beautiful Easter Sunday centerpiece at any table.
Serve with easy sides like my Sicilian stuffed artichokes, roasted rainbow carrots, and red skin mashed potatoes for a beautiful spring dinner!
Made With Amore,
“This was so delicious! The spinach filling is crazy good, I love the touch of nutmeg and warmth it brings!”
– Daniela
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Torta Pasqualina
This Italian torta pasqualina is so easy to assemble, and takes just a small amount of basic ingredients.
- Baby Spinach Leaves: Using fresh baby spinach is the best option, as it’s more tender than regular spinach. Like in my steakhouse creamed spinach, you can use frozen and thawed spinach (an equal amount by weight), but realize that you’ll lose more water from it.
- Cheese: You’ll need both fresh, creamy ricotta cheese and grated Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano cheese for the filling.
- Eggs: You’ll need large eggs to drop into the wells in the filling to give the torta pasqualina its distinctive and beautiful presentation. Then, you’ll need one to beat and brush onto the pastry to give it a lovely golden finish.
- Ground Nutmeg: I love adding a little bit of freshly grated nutmeg to the filling–it perfectly complements the spinach and cheese! Use a microplane to grate your own from a whole nutmeg.
- Puff Pastry: This is the perfect time to use ready-made frozen puff pastry sheets. You can substitute with homemade flaky pastry if you prefer.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Cheese Variations: Try adding shredded mozzarella, fontina, or goat cheese for unique flavors. Swap Parmesan with Pecorino Romano or Asiago for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Caramelized Onions: Sauté thinly sliced onions until caramelized and mix them into the spinach and ricotta filling. If you have extra onions, serve them in my mashed potatoes with caramelized onions for a lovely side.
- Spinach: For a different flavor and texture, substitute spinach with other leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard, or a mix of greens.
- Puff Pastry: If you don’t have ready-made puff pastry or prefer a different crust, you can use an all-butter pie crust.
How to Make Torta Pasqualina
Follow these easy step-by-step photo instructions. The printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post. I hope you’ll love this authentic Italian recipe as much as I do!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Blanch spinach. Transfer to a cutting board and chop; set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the onion in olive oil for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant- 2 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped spinach, cooked onions and garlic, fresh ricotta, grated Parmigiano, 2 eggs, salt, ground nutmeg, and fresh black pepper.
- Mix well until combined. Grease an 8-inch springform pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Make sure to coat the sides well.
- Roll out one sheet of puff pastry and line the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure to leave some over the edges.
- Fill the pastry-lined pan with the ricotta and spinach mixture, and even out the surface. Make five deep holes in the filling using the back of a spoon.
- Carefully crack one raw egg into each hole, careful not to break the yolk. Add a pinch of salt to each egg.
- Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 9-inch circle. Place the puff pastry over the spinach pie and pinch the edges of the puff pastry together to crimp and seal the pie. Brush the egg wash on the pie.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and puffed. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the springform pan. Transfer to a serving platter or large cake plate for a festive effect.
- Slice and serve warm. Buon appetito! Enjoy your double-crusted stunner of a savory tart! It is truly a yummy vegetable pie for any special occasion.
Recipe FAQs
Torta Pasqualina is a traditional Italian Easter pie made with puff pastry. It features layers of ricotta, spinach filling, and hard-boiled eggs.
An Italian dish with origins in the Liguria region. It is particularly associated with Genoa and is traditionally prepared during Easter.
The word “pasqualina” is derived from Pasqua, the Italian word for Easter. This savory pie has a long history and is often linked to the celebration of Easter in Italian culinary traditions.
Torta pasqualina is made from a spinach and cheese filling with whole eggs hidden inside under a golden crust of puff pastry baked in a round dish.
Storage: Let cool to room temp, then wrap tightly or store in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2–3 days.
Oven Reheating: Slices: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–15 minutes. Whole pie: Reheat for 20–30 minutes, covering edges with foil to avoid over-browning.
Microwave: Heat slices for 1–2 minutes, though the crust may lose crispness.
Serving Suggestions
If you love this torta pasqualina, you’ll want to round out the meal with other traditional Italian Easter Recipes and easy side dishes like my roasted green beans with garlic, simple artichoke soup, and a slice of no knead Italian bread. Enjoy a slice of ricotta cheesecake, lemon tiramisu with lemon curd, or one bowl carrot cake for dessert!
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Use quality ingredients. Fresh spinach, ricotta, eggs, and puff pastry make all the difference.
- Drain spinach well. Excess moisture can lead to a soggy filling.
- Season generously. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and nutmeg for a flavorful filling.
- Handle puff pastry gently. Don’t overwork it; follow thawing instructions for best results.
- Want to double the recipe? Either bake it in 2 separate round pans or bake it in one 9×13-inch pan.
Other Italian Easter Recipes You’ll Love
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Torta Pasqualina
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 pound baby spinach leaves
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 ounces fresh ricotta cheese, drained, liquid removed
- 1 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated (or Pecorino Romano)
- 7 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For Assembly
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Fill a large pot with water and boil over high heat. Once boiling, add spinach into the water and let cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Transfer greens into a colander and rinse under cold water. Using paper towels, squeeze spinach to remove excess water. Transfer spinach to a cutting board and chop; set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, saute the onion in olive oil for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant- 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped spinach, cooked onions and garlic, fresh ricotta, grated Parmigiano, 2 eggs, salt, ground nutmeg, and fresh black pepper. Mix well until combined.
Assemble the Torta Pasqualina
- Grease an 8-inch springform pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Make sure to coat the sides well.
- Roll out one sheet of puff pastry and line the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure to leave some over the edges.
- Fill the pastry-lined pan with the ricotta and spinach mixture, and even out the surface.
- Make five deep holes in the filling using the back of a spoon. Carefully crack one raw egg into each hole, careful not to break the yolk. Add a pinch of salt to each egg.
- Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 9-inch circle. Place the puff pastry over the spinach pie and pinch the edges of the puff pastry together to crimp and seal the pie.
- Brush the egg wash on the pie (you may have some leftovers). With a sharp knife, create small vents on the top of the pastry.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes until the top is golden brown and puffed. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the springform pan. Transfer to a serving platter or large cake plate for a festive effect.
- Slice and serve warm. Buon appetito!
Notes
- Use quality ingredients. Fresh spinach, ricotta, eggs, and puff pastry make all the difference.
- Drain spinach well. Excess moisture can lead to a soggy filling.
- Season generously. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and nutmeg for a flavorful filling.
- Handle puff pastry gently. Don’t overwork it; follow thawing instructions for best results.
- Want to double the recipe? Either bake it in 2 separate round pans or bake it in one 9×13-inch pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a great recipe for almost any meal or occasion. I prepared the filling, then let it sit in refrigerator until the next day. It was enjoyed by my guests and plan to make it again tomorrow.
I will make the 2X size ad not sure what size pan to use?
Thank you
Susan
Melbourne. Australia.
Yay! So happy you loved it all these miles away from where I live. I love that your guest enjoy it. If you are making 2 I would bake it in 2 separate round pans uless, you want to try a large rectangle baking pan about 9×13. Enjoy!
This was so delicious! The spinach filling is crazy good, I love the touch of nutmeg and warmth it brings!
Yes, the nutmeg is a hidden secret to many Italian recipes!
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had torta pasqualina before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
You are so nice! Have a wonderful day!