Easter cake with artichokes

Let's see together how to prepare the artichoke Easter cake: the variant of the typical Ligurian dish for Easter.

The Pasqualina artichoke cake is a typical product of Liguria. The preparation is similar to the classic recipe based on spinach and chard, with a filling of eggs and ricotta with an intense aroma of marjoram. As the name suggests, it is customary to make Genoese artichoke cake for Easter , so it is no coincidence that it is a vegetarian savory cake.

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As regards the external casing of the Easter cake with artichokes and ricotta, there are different schools of thought. There are those who use matta pasta , those who use shortcrust pastry while others still prefer puff pastry (even ready-made to save time). We chose crazy pasta, simple to prepare and easy to roll out. Ready to get to work?

How to prepare the Easter cake with artichokes recipe

1. Combine the flour in a bowl and make a hole in the center. Then add oil and salt and start mixing with a spoon, gradually adding the water at room temperature. Once it has compacted, finish working it on the pastry board until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough .
2. Clean the artichokes by removing the outer layer of the leaves, the tips and the stem. Wash them under running water then cut them into rather thin slices.
3. Finely chop the onion and brown it in a pan with the oil, then add the artichokes, a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of water. Cook them for 20 minutes .
4. Now all that remains is to prepare the filling. Mix the ricotta with 1 egg, parmesan and marjoram. Add the artichokes and set aside.
5. Divide the dough ball into two parts and roll out the first until it is a couple of millimeters thick. Transfer it to a 24-26 cm diameter pan .
6. Pour the filling, level it then make four holes using the back of a spoon. Break the eggs into the center of each.
7. Roll out the remaining pastry, cover and seal the edges well.
8. Cook the Genoese Easter cake with artichokes at 180°C for 40 minutes then let it cool before serving.

Here is a very simple video recipe , if it weren't for the use of two ready-made rolls of puff pastry :

You can also make the whole Easter cake with artichokes by replacing half the flour called for in the recipe with wholemeal flour . The result will be a rustic product with a perfect flavour. Furthermore, if you liked this recipe, also try our Easter appetizers .

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Easter cake: the original video and photo recipe of the Ligurian savory cake