Italian Easter Pie : St Ewe

This Italian classic Easter pie is called Torta Pasquilina and is traditionally served on Easter Sunday. It is the perfect way to get a healthy dose of greens in your diet. It is also a great pie to have ready in the fridge to serve up for a quick lunch.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 Red Onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
800 g of mixed greens such as spinach kale, spring greens, cavolo nero, chard roughly chopped
3 spring onions sliced
A handful of wild garlic leaves roughly chopped (optional)
2 tbsp mixed chopped herbs such as chives dill, parsley, basil
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
250 g ricotta
100 g mature cheddar or cheese of choice
8 St Ewe Eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 packet of filo pastry*
75 g butter

Instructions

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until softened.
Tip in the chopped greens including the spring onion. Stir to mix, then cover with a lid and cook until the greens have wilted down a bit.
Remove from the heat. Tip the greens into a sieve or colander over a bowl and gently press with the back of a spoon to remove any excess moisture. Tip the liquid away.
Put the greens into a bowl. Add the herbs and wild garlic of using, ricotta, grated cheese, nutmeg, fennel seeds, and 2 of the eggs. Beat to mix together.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Melt the butter. Brush the sides and base of a 20cm round cake tin. A spring form or loose bottomed tin works best. Place a layer of buttered filo into the base of the tin. Brush another layer of filo and place into the tin. Repeat this process to cover the base and sides of the tin, easing the pastry in carefully each time. You will need about 4 layers of pastry roughly to cover all the way, allowing it to come up above the top of the tin so it can be draped over the top of the pie filling. Brush the last layer of pastry with butter then tip in the greens and ricotta mixture.
Spread to even out, then using a spoon, make 5 deep indentations into the filling big enough to accommodate an egg in each one.
Carefully break an egg into each cavity. Gently fold the filo pastry edges in. Butter the top edges, then top with 2 to 3 layers of buttered filo.
When you get to the top layer, whisk the remaining egg and brush this on the top to glaze.
If using filo pastry, place the pie onto a tray and place in the oven, just in case any of the melted butter leaks out, otherwise, place the pie straight in. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until the pastry is golden and the pie feels firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Either serve while it is still warm or at room temperature.