Pasqualina is a classic Italian dish. It is traditionally eaten at Easter. This version comes from Liguria. Baciocca is a vegetable pie eaten all year round.
Ligurian cuisine features many vegetable pies – they traditionally provided fast food for fishermen who could cut a slice whenever they came home, or take some with them while at sea. You will still find all types of vegetable pie in Liguria – and at Easter you can try an especially rich pie called Pasqualina. It’s full of flavour with artichokes and eggs. Here’s a recipe, provided by the chef at the Hotel Amici in the Ligurian mountain village of Varese Ligure. This version is typical of eastern Liguria.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 175 gm flour
- 100 gm water
- pinch of salt
- a little olive oil
- For the filling:
- 5 artichokes, prepared and sliced
- 1 onion- finely chopped
- ½ glass of white wine
- pinch of salt
- 6-7 eggs (3 beaten)
- 50gm grated parmesan
- 250 gm ricotta cheese
- a little olive oil
Method
Pastry: Mix the flour, water, oil and salt and work it into a dough. Cut the dough in half, roll out each half thinly and place half of the rolled pastry into the base of a greased baking tin – allow it to overlap the edges.
Filling: Saute the chopped onion, then add the sliced artichokes, the wine and salt. Cook gently for just a few minutes, then place the mixture in a bowl. Add three beaten eggs, and the parmesan and mix together. Spread the mixture evenly over the dough in the tin, then spread the ricotta on top (seasoned with a little black pepper, salt and olive oil). Make 3 or 4 small holes in the mixture and into each hole pour an egg. Place the other sheet of rolled pastry on top, fold over the edges and then cook in an oven preheated to 180 degrees, for 20 to 25 minutes.
Another type of Ligurian vegetable pie is Baciocca – a potato tart.
Ingredients
Pastry: as above
Filling:
- 600gm potatoes
- 3 eggs-beaten
- 1 onion, chopped
- clove of garlic, finely chopped
- some parsley
- 50 gm grated parmesan
- Slices of prosciutto (optional)
Method
Make the pastry, and line the tin as before.
Peel the potatoes, then slice them very thinly and cover them with salt. Leave them for one hour, then rinse off the salt. Place them in a bowl and add the 3 eggs. Saute the onion and add it to the mix, together with the garlic, parsley and parmesan. Spread the mixture over the bottom layer of pastry in the tin, and put some slices of prosciutto on top if desired. Make a lid with the rest of the pastry, fold the edges over then cook in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.
For more speciality dishes from Liguria see Specialities of Liguria
and Recipes for pesto and battuto sauces
For information on the area read Liguria's Secret Valley
