Healthy spinach Focaccia for the Pasquetta Day 3Comments
Posted on
April 13, 2009 by
Stile Mediterraneo
The “Pasquetta” Day is one the most exciting holiday in Southern Italy. Pasquetta is the day after Easter and literally means the “little Easter”.
All friends and families get together for a whole day outdoor. The tradition wants that one person offers his or her house at the beach or in the countryside; all friends bring something to eat and to drink to be shared with the others.
All friends of friends are welcome and so you can have about 200-300 people in the same house.
The Pasquetta day starts very early in the morning and ends very late at night: it’s all about eating and drinking (as if, we did not have any food on the day before, Easter!!) and playing soccer or volleyball with friends.
All people at any age attend the Pasquetta. For Southern Italians, it’s a tradition! Italians from the north, don’t believe how important the Pasquetta is for us!
This time, I and Marika will bring a ricotta and spinach Focaccia. We thought the focaccia would be perfect for a pic nic and also for all our girlfriends who like vegetables and want to be healthy!
This is the recipe (for 6 servings):- 250 grams durum wheat flour;- yeast (better the natural yeast);- a pinch of sugar;- 1 kg spinach;- 150 grams fresh ricotta cheese;- 70 grams parmesan cheese;- 2 whole eggs;- 1 garlic clove;- pepper;- salt;- 2 tbp extra virgin olive oil
Spinach preparation:
In a big saucepan, cook the spinach with the garlic, a pinch of salt and a pinch of spicy pepper. Cook the spinanch at very low flame, stirring and covering with a lid. When they are al dente, remove the garlic, let them cool down and then reduce them in small pieces using a knife. Add 1 egg and the grated parmesan cheese.
Dough preparation:
Add some warm water to the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Mix together the flour with the yeast and water, 1 egg and the 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil. Knead the dough. Add 1 tsp of salt to the dough.
Divide the dough in two pieces and with a rolling pin, make two thin and round layers.
Prepare a baking pan with some olive oil and breadcrumbs. Place the first layer in the baking pan, cover with the spinach and with some pieces of ricotta cheese. Place the second layer on top.
Cook in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes at 180°C (350 F).
Will do…I’ll actually get it from a friend of ours because I still haven’t had the chance to make it myself. Every time we have a BBQ with her (we trade off whose place we cook at, ours and hers, usually a couple times per month) I literally BEG her to make hers, because they are SOOOOO yummy!
I’ll see if I can’t get you the recipe next week sometime. We are going out for a movie with her on Wednesday, so hopefully I can get it then
Tim, please send the recipe for the banitza. we would love to try!
This one’s on the agenda for the month of May for us. I’ve always loved the bread/cheese/spinach combination, and here in Bulgaria they have banitza, which are basically little flakey rolls with cheese+spinach/onions/garlic/whatever you want inside. The Focaccia sounds wonderful…can’t wait to try it