Argentine Spinach Pie (Torta Pascualina)
Yes, there are those in our part of the country that seem fine with our most segregated title, and are even offended that a local business would work to change that. And then there’s Joyce Ellwanger. Joyce is a true hero. And as is so often the case with people who really care for everyone around them, her recipes are really tasty as well. If hope had a flavor, it would taste a lot like this pie. Share it wherever you can.
Ingredients
1 double crust pie shell (if you make your own, whole wheat crust is fantastic with this recipe)
1 1/2 Cups frozen chopped spinach or 2 qts. fresh spinach (we used 2 8-oz. bags fresh spinach and it worked out great)
2 TB. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. GROUND NUTMEG
1 tsp. OREGANO
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1-2 Cups grated Swiss cheese (Joyce uses 2)
egg yolk to brush top of pie crust (optional)*
Crust for 2 9-inch pies or 1 double crust pie:
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3-5 TB. milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze to remove any liquid. If using fresh spinach, cook, drain, dry well and chop. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a bowl, combine the spinach, onion, NUTMEG, OREGANO, salt, eggs and cheese. Mix well. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Arrange the top crust over the filling and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top with egg yolk if desired (it gives the crust a lovely color). Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.
To prepare the crust, cut the butter into small pieces; it doesn’t have to be cold, but it should not be warm to the point of melting. Add the flour, salt and sugar to the butter and rub by hand to combine. Switch to a spoon and add the milk in a thin stream, mixing until it just holds together. You may not need all the milk. Form into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill for half an hour. Sprinkle table and top of dough with flour, roll gently from the center to the edges until it is large enough, turning it over a few times so it doesn’t stick. Lift gently into pan, shape edge as desired. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Fill and bake.
If baking before filling, bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Repeat with the second disc of dough.
*Sometimes, no matter how careful you are when you roll out a top crust it just gets cracks and doesn’t look perfect. For a savory pie, brushing the top with egg yolk and sprinkling it with salt makes it look great anyway! For a sweet pie we prefer egg white and Vanilla Sugar.
Prep. time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 30-40 minutes
Serves: 8