Easter Pie With A Bite

Pasquetta, “Little Easter,” Easter Monday, is as much a holiday for Italians as Easter itself. If its liturgical significance is to commemorate the women who gathered at Christ’s tomb only to find it vacated, it has become a national picnic day whose purpose, by all appearances, is to take to the countryside with wine and piatti freddi, and to eat and drink oneself into a stupor.

The food is prepared a few days ahead to avoid work over the holiday. A popular portable dish for the occasion is torta pasqualina, a savory closed pie enveloping a filling based on cooked greens, typically spinach, chard, or borage. I like to make it using an American-style crust because I love its structure and crumb—and I substitute cime di rapa, “rapini” in Sicilian vernacular; “broccoli rabe” in the States, with astonishingly good results. When boiled first, rapini lose their bracing pungency and acquire a complex yet mellow flavor that neither spinach nor chard can match.

Serves 6 to 8

·3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

·2 teaspoons salt

·12 tablespoons unsalted butter, well chilled or frozen

·6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, well chilled or frozen

·1 large egg

·1 tablespoon lemon juice or unflavored vinegar

·5 to 7 tablespoons ice water, just as needed

For the filling:

·2 bunches rapini, washed and drained

·2 tablespoons kosher salt

·3 slices bacon, chopped

·2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·1 large onion, chopped

·1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

·3 large eggs, beaten

·1 tablespoon bread crumbs

·½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

·½ teaspoon salt, and freshly milled black pepper to taste

·1 egg yolk, beaten well with pinch of salt

1. Combine the flour and salt and pulse in a food processor to blend.

2. Add the cold butter and vegetable shortening; pulse only until the fat is cut into pea-sized bits.

3. Add the egg and lemon juice or vinegar; pulse twice. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice between additions, only until dough begins to show some clumps. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the inside walls of the vessel. Avoid forming a dough ball on the blade.

4. Turn dough out onto wax paper. If it looks dry, sprinkle on a bit more water. Gather it into a ball. It should hold the impression of your fingers when pressed. Cover it well in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 5 days until you are ready to make the filling.

1. Using a paring knife, peel the thick lower stalks of the greens, much like you would remove the tough skin from asparagus stalks. Cut the stems from the crowns.

2. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the greens and bring to a boil. Add the kosher salt and the stems; boil for 7 minutes. Add the crowns and boil for 3 more minutes. Drain and cool. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop finely and set aside.

3. Warm a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and brown the bacon, about 7 minutes. Drain off excess fat, stir in the butter and add the onion. Sauté gently until the onion is transparent, another 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté until it softens, without permitting it to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped greens. Cool.

4. In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly and mix in the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the rapini mixture, blending well.

5. Preheat an oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch pie pan. Divide the chilled dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger ball into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured, wide sheet of parchment or waxed paper using a floured rolling pin. Transfer it to the pie pan. Press it gently onto the bottom and sides. Spoon in the filling.

6. Roll out the second ball of dough into a slightly smaller circle. Lay it over the filling. Crimp the edges together to seal; trim off any excess to form an even edge. Cut a slash in the top for steam to escape. Gather any dough scraps, re-roll them, and cut out shapes to decorate the crust.

7. Brush the crust with the egg wash. Bake on the middle oven rack until golden, about 1 hour. Transfer it to a rack to cool. Serve warm, cut into wedges.

Note: Chill for up to 5 days. Reheat it in an oven preheated to 350 F until warm, 25 minutes, or serve it at room temperature.