Italian Easter Pie with Egg

Put the flour and salt on a work surface, mix in 2 tbsp oil and knead in enough water (about 200 ml) to produce a smooth, pliable dough. Knead well for about 10 minutes.

Then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, form into balls and place on a cloth dusted with flour. Cover with a lightly dampened cloth and leave to rest for about 1 hour.

For the filling, sort and wash the spinach. Put into a pan dripping wet and heat until it wilts. Season with salt and briefly bring to the boil, then drain and leave to cool. Squeeze out the spinach, chop finely and season with salt, pepper and marjoram.

Cut the crust off the bread roll, break up the bread and soak in milk. Whisk 2 eggs and stir in 2—3 tbsp Parmesan. Mix in the lightly squeezed bread, the ricotta and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll out one ball of pastry as thinly as possible on a floured surface.

Then carefully pull out in all directions with your hands to make it even thinner (stretch and pull the dough over the back of your hands).

Oil a loose-bottomed dish and lay the pastry in it so that it overlaps the edge of the dish by about 1 cm. Brush lightly with oil. Do the same with 5 more portions of pastry and lay in the dish, brushing each layer except the last one lightly with oil.

Spread the prepared filling smoothly on the pastry and sprinkle with a little oil. Using a spoon make six evenly-spaced depressions in the filling.

Put a dot of butter (or margarine) into each depression. Carefully break an egg into each depression without breaking the yolk. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Roll out the remaining portions of pastry as before and lay over the filling. Brush lightly with oil between each layer. Dot the edge with butter. Roll the overlapping pastry edges inwards and press together.