Torta d'erbi
“Torta d’erbi” herb pie or “Torta di verdure” vegetable pie, has a filling of chard, pine nuts, raisins, sugar, stale bread and various spices on a shortcrust pastry base. The result is a tasty and original combination of flavors. This dessert was traditionally prepared for Saint Zita, patron saint of Lucca (together with San Paolino) who was celebrated on April 27th. Usually this cake is accompanied by the other cake called Torta coi becchi (pie with “beaks”), which has the same shape.
For the shortcrust
- 300 gr of flour
- 150 gr of sugar
- 2 whole eggs, 1 yolk
- 100 gr of butter
- 1 sachet of yeast
- 1 sachet of vanilla
- grated orange and lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of liqueur
For the filling
- 200 gr of bread soaked in milk, then squeezed and mashed.
- 300 gr of chard and 100 gr. of parsley, sautéed in butter
- 100 gr of pine nuts
- 100 gr of raisins
- 100 gr of chopped candied fruit
- 25 gr of pecorino cheese
- 25 gr of Parmesan cheese
- 2 whole eggs and 1 yolk
- 50 gr of vanilla sugar
- 50 gr of sugar
- 100 gr of liqueur (Alchermes or Sambuca or Bagna)
- Salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg (to taste)
Form a ball with the dough ingredients and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour or more.
Meanwhile, boil the vegetables, drain well and sauté in a pan with the parsley already sautéed in butter.
When ready, put all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl, mix them well and place them in the shortcrust pastry - taken out of the refrigerator and rolled out quickly so as not to heat it with your hands - in the baking pan, leaving the disc of pastry a little outside the edge and then tucking it over the filling when it is ready.
