Torta Pascualina
(Easter-time Tart)
*******
Easter time is
such a joyous time. How could it not be? The resurrection of Jesus Christ and
the accompanying symbols of Easter represent hope, immortality and eternal
life. Some of those symbols even carry over into many foods (see recipe below).
Olive oil, eggs
and 33 layers of dough are some of the beautifully symbolic ingredients for
this savory spinach and egg pie, which is very common in Argentina, Italy and
Spain (originating in the Middle East). Many countries have a long, long
history of using the symbols of Easter in specialty foods which they make once a year. Torta
Pascualina is one of them. I learned to make this many years ago when I was an LDS missionary in
Argentina and I love the meanings the ingredients contain.
Olive Oil & the Olive Tree: They are symbols of immortality and eternal life. If
an olive tree "dies", new life springs from the base of the tree as budding shoots sprout. The tree eventually grows back to life again. This horticultural phenomenon took on mythical proportions thousands of years ago for the Greeks, Egyptians and Romans. No wonder the olive tree is called "the king of all trees" in the Bible, which makes over 140 references to olive oil and hundreds more to the the olive tree itself.
The olive was so vital to the
Greeks that Solon passed the "Olive Protection Law" in 620 B.C. This
law carried a death sentence to anyone found guilty of uprooting or destroying this sacred tree.
In Exodus 30: 22-31, we learn that olive oil is
the holy oil used for anointing people to sacred callings, so that the spirit
of God may come upon the person to set them apart for a God-given task. How
fitting, then, that the Hebrew word for Christ, mashiach (or Messiah),
means "anointed"; Christ is The Anointed One. And, the classical
Greek word for Christ, Khristós, means covered in oil,
or anointed, being a literal translation of Christ's name "Messiah".
There is even more to the olive and olive oil. The olive branch is a symbol of
peace, and what was another name for Christ? The Prince of Peace.
Eggs: They are a Christian symbol of
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Famously, red-dyed eggs, part of Greek Easter
celebrations, are a symbol of the blood of Christ and rebirth.
33 Layers of Pastry: The number of
years that Christ lived on earth. The traditional Italian recipe for Torta
Pascualina, which dates back to 16th century Liguria, Italy, calls for 33
layers of pastry for this reason.
Pastry:
2 C flour
3 egg yolks
3 TBL olive oil
½ C lukewarm water
Filling:
3 lb fresh spinach, cooked,
drained, and squeezed dry, abt 3 C (or 3 10-oz frozen packages)
1½ large onions,
chopped
1½ C breadcrumbs (or
approx 3 slices torn into a medium bowl)
1¼ C +1 TBL milk
½ sp freshly ground pepper
2 ½ tsp salt
1-2 tsp freshly
grated nutmeg
¾ C grated Parmesan
cheese
8 eggs, MEDIUM size
*
1 egg, beaten
2 TBL water
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a 10- or 12-inch spring form pan. Place the flour on a pastry board, making a well at its center. Place the egg yolks and the olive oil in the well.
- Gradually work in the flour, adding enough lukewarm water to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Cover with a cloth and set aside for 10 minutes. Begin making the spinach and egg filling.
- In a small bowl mix the breadcrumb with the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and set aside until breadcrumbs absorb milk.
- In a saute pan, fry the onion until transparent and add spinach (make sure moisture has been squeezed out). Reserve the 8 eggs for later. Blend breadcrumb/ milk mixture in a blender. Combine the spinach, breadcrumb mixture, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and set aside.
- Cut the rested dough into 4 pieces—2 slightly larger than the other two. Roll out the 2 larger pieces of the dough as thin as possible on a lightly floured board (the dough needs to be rolled out big enough to come up the sides of the pan. Brush the dough with a little of the oil. Roll out the other two pieces of dough.
- Place the 2 larger layers of dough on the bottom
and up the sides of the springform pan. Add spinach filling evenly over
the dough in the baking dish.
Make 8 evenly spaced depressions on the spinach mixture, using the
back of a large soupspoon.
Break an egg into each deep depression and sprinkle it lightly with
salt. Cover with the
remaining 2 layers of dough, sealing and crimping the edges carefully. Beat remaining egg and water in a
small bowl. Brush top crust
with this.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is lightly
golden. Serve hot or cold.
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Olive press for making olive oil |
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