KBB#28: TORTA PASQUALINA (Easter Savoury Cake)

Setelah izin tidak bikin pe-er KBB#27: Fortune Cookies, tentu saja pe-er kali ini tidak boleh dilewatkan..

Tantangan terberatnya adalah: mencari bahan baku kue yang punya nama mirip judul telenovela ini...:)

Karena asalnya dari Italia, bahan2nya pun bisa dibilang asing buat kita, orang Indonesia. Pertama baca resepnya, bingung banget baca Marjoram, Swiss Chard, Silver Beet, apaan tuh?? hehehe... Tapi setelah sharing sama teman2 yang tinggal di luar negeri ditambah browsing sana sini, akhirnya tau juga dimana harus beli atau bisa diganti dengan apa...

Setelah bahan2 terkumpul, baca resep lagi dengan lebih teliti trus dipraktekkan dengan mengikuti step-by-stepnya.. Dan akhirnyaa...tadaaaaaa....jadi juga Torta Pasqualina-ku...

Torta Pasqualina literally means 'Easter cake' in Italian. It's typical Easter dish from Piemonte and Liguria.

The dough is a layered dough, a bit like 'phyllo dough', but thicker. It's called 'pasta matta' (i.e. crazy dough)

As this dish comes from Liguria,  it contains a local cheese called Prescinseua which can only be found in Liguria.  It is very creamy, soft and slightly acidulated.

It’s unlikely you will find Prescinseau so a very soft ricotta can or a regular ricotta with the addition of a little milk will do.

Torta Pasqualina

Source: Old Time Cooking Recipes

Ingredients:
DOUGH:
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) white flour

6 Tbs olive oil

a pinch of salt

FILLING:
1 kg (2 lb) Swiss chard (silver beet) or spinach

400 g (0.9 lb) cottage cheese/ricotta cheese

100 g (3.5 oz) parmesan

10 eggs

2 teaspoons marjoram, chopped

2 teaspoons parsley, chopped

garlic, minced (optional)

olive oil

salt, pepper

Preparation:
1. DOUGH:

-Combine flour, oil, a pinch of salt and enough cold water to make amedium soft dough.

-Knead well for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic.

-Divide the dough into 14 balls.

-Cover with cloth and let stand for about 1 hour.

2. FILLING:

-Clean, wash and dry the Swiss chard.

-Place in a saucepan with little boiling water and cook at high heat until wilted.

-Cool, then squeeze out excess liquid and chop finely.

-Add 50 g (1.7 oz) parmesan cheese, marjoram, parsley, garlic and 2eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Oil a round shallow oven dish, 9 inches (22 cm) in diameter.

4. Flatten each piece of dough, one at a time, making each a very thin disk, larger than the baking pan you are going to use.

5. Lay the pastry on the oven dish, allowing it to flow over the edges. Oil it lightly.

6. Place another disk over it and repeat until you have used 7 disks.

7. Spread the Swiss chard stuffing over the dough, and then spread the cottage cheese over the greens level with a knife.

8. Make 8 small cavities. Pour a raw egg into each cavity and sprinkle each with salt, pepper and remaining parmesan cheese.

9. Cover the whole lot with the same number of pastry sheets, each brushed with oil.

10. Pinch the borders and trim the excess dough, prick the top of thepie in a few places and then brush with oil.

11. Bake for 1 hour in 190 C (375 F) oven. Allow to rest before removing from the cake tin.