Mini Pasqualina Pies (Italian Savory Easter Pie)

These Mini Pasqualina Pies are delicious packages of pastry filled with a spinach and ricotta mixture and hard-boiled eggs. The combination of eggs and spinach is perfect for spring, and particularly as part of an Easter lunch.

To make these mini Pasqualina pies, you begin by boiling the eggs until they are hard-boiled before making a filling of spinach, ricotta, shredded cheese, and salt. Then, the puff pastry gets cut into six squares before three of them are topped with an egg and the spinach mixture. Finally, they are topped with the remaining pastry and baked in the oven. These hot pastries filled with egg, spinach, and cheese are delicious paired with steamed green vegetables like asparagus and a tossed green salad with a tangy vinaigrette.

What are Mini Pasqualine?

Pasqualine is a classic tart that people make in Italy around Easter. It typically includes a puff pastry crust and a filling of spinach, ricotta, and eggs. While Pasqualine is usually assembled as a large tart and cut into slices, this version involves making smaller pastries for individual servings. Brushed with milk before baking, the pastry becomes puffed, golden, and flaky before serving.

Pro Tips

• It is best to thaw the puff pastry in the fridge so that you can keep it cold before you plan to work with it. Puff pastry should always be cold when worked with as this ensures that the fat in the pastry remains solid and will create steam and help the pastry puff up as it bakes.
• If you don’t have fresh spinach on hand, you could easily replace it with another type of green like Swiss chard.
• Feel free to use your favorite shredded cheese in this recipe such as Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and more.
• Use a fork to seal the edges of the pastries to ensure that the filling doesn’t spill out.
• You will know the pastries are properly baked when they are puffed and golden.

What to Serve with Mini Pasqualine?

These mini Pasqualine can be enjoyed on their own but they are also great with a fresh green salad with a lemony vinaigrette for a fuller meal. Alternatively, you could serve them with roasted root vegetables, steamed asparagus, or a caprese salad.

How Can I Vary Mini Pasqualine?

In Italian households, there are a few ways that people vary this recipe. For one thing, you could add some nutmeg into the filling to add some complexity. This recipe is also wonderful with the addition of some pine nuts for a nutty contrast to the other ingredients.

What Type of Cheese Should I Use in Mini Pasqualine?

For the shredded cheese component of this recipe, you can feel free to use whatever type of cheese that you prefer. Anything that is meltable like Swiss cheese, provolone, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese are particularly good but you could also add Parmesan cheese if you enjoy its signature salty and nutty flavour.

Can Frozen Spinach Be Used Instead of Fresh Spinach?

Yes, frozen spinach would work quite well in this recipe. Just make sure you thaw it and squeeze out the excess moisture before you use it. Since the frozen spinach is already cooked, you can skip the step of blanching it.

How to Store Mini Pasqualine

These mini Pasqualine can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Then, when you intend to serve them, you can warm them up in the oven to heat them through and re-crisp the pastry.

How to Make Mini Pasqualine

Cook the eggs in a pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. Cook the spinach in a pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes; strain out the water.

In a bowl, blend the spinach with the ricotta, cheese, and salt. Cut the pastry into six squares.

Dollop some of the spinach mixture on top of three of the squares. Place a hard-boiled egg on top of each.

Top each hard-boiled egg with more of the spinach mixture. Add a square of pastry on top of each. Seal the pastries and brush them with the milk. Bake in a 340 F/170 C oven for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately!