Torta verde

I fell in love with torta verde the first time I tried it while I was on holiday in the town of Sanremo, Italy. It’s a delicious savoury vegetable pie hailing from the region of Liguria in northern Italy. Torta verde, where torta means pie and verde means green, is made with locally grown vegetables like trombetta (a type of locally grown courgette also known as zucchina di Albenga), and erbette (perpetual spinach). Sometimes with the addition of leek or peas, depending on the season and what’s available. Trombetta means trumpet, so it’s pretty apparent how this courgette variety got its name. You’ve probably never even heard of trombette, and unless you live in Liguria, the chances of finding them are pretty slim. Don’t worry, though – you can make this recipe with normal courgettes (zucchini) and spinach! Just check the tips on substitutions below.

In the seaside town of Sanremo, you’ll find torta verde di Sanremo in most bread shops, focaccerie, food markets, snack bars, and even supermarkets. It’s the region’s answer to a pie, and instead of making individual ones like we do in the UK, they make big ones that are made to share or sell by the slice. Torta verde can be eaten warm or cold. It’s a speciality that’s enjoyed throughout the whole region of Liguria, including Sanremo, but also in other places such as Genoa, Savona, and La Spezia, where it is known simply as torta verde, torta verde ligure, or torta verde del ponente ligure.

About this recipe for torta verde (green pie)

If you’re looking for a vegan vegetable pie recipe with an Italian flair, you can’t get much better than this Ligurian speciality. It took me quite some time to find out what type of pastry they use to make torta verde. It isn’t puff pastry, shortcrust pastry, or anything else I was familiar with. The locals are not very forthcoming about revealing culinary secrets! I didn’t even know what the pie was called until my second visit to the town because they don’t seem to have the habit of labelling stuff either. But I liked it so much that I wanted to learn how to make it at home.

One day, I plucked up the courage and asked the owner of the place that has the best torta verde in Sanremo. It’s in the Old Town and there’s always a queue outside, so I’m obviously not the only one that thinks it’s great. “This is absolutely delicious!” I said in Italian. “How do you make the pastry?” At that, he laughed and answered, “If I told you, you could open up shop here and steal my customers.” Oh well, …

First attempts

I took some trombette back home to experiment on, but my first attempts weren’t great because the pastry wasn’t quite right. In the end, I put two and two together and searched the internet for Sanremo torta salata (pie or tart), and it came up in the search results complete with recipes and the type of pastry they use – pasta matta. All in Italian, of course. I checked out a few recipes, and most included eggs, cheese, or both. When I first tried torta verde di Sanremo, I was still vegetarian, but when I became vegan, I made it my mission to make a Ligurian green pie that’s impossible to distinguish from those with dairy and eggs!

The pastry (pasta matta)

The pastry, pasta matta, is made of just flour, water, oil and salt. It has a very high oil-to-water ratio – up to 50% in some recipes. After a few experiments, I decided to settle for 60% water to 40% oil, because I wanted to reduce the oil content while still keeping the recipe authentic. It’s super easy to make and economical, too. However, if you don’t want to make your own pastry, you can replace pasta matta with shortcrust or puff pastry – the main difference is the use of oil instead of butter. It won’t be as authentic, but delicious nonetheless.

The filling

The locals use seasonal, locally grown vegetables. Liguria has a mild climate all year round, making it ideal for vegetable growing. Although every household in Sanremo has its own version of this traditional recipe, no local torta verde would be truly authentic without trombetta di Albenga and erbette (aka bietole in Italian). Outside the region of Liguria, it’s practically impossible to find trombette (the plural form). So, by all means, go ahead and replace the trombetta with ordinary courgettes (zucchini) and erbette with spinach. In traditional Ligurian green pie, there is often a third vegetable, usually leek or peas. Both variations are equally as delicious.

All about trombetta (zucca/zucchina di Albenga)

The most iconic Ligurian vegetable is, without a doubt, the trombetta. It is a summer squash also known by many other common names, including: zucchetta rampicante, zucchino rampicante, climbing zucchini, climbing crookneck, trombolino d’albenga, tromboncino and serpentine squash.

When harvested young, the trombetta is light green with little white lines running vertically along the length of the squash. The flesh is firm and pale, with a mild, nutty flavour. If left on the plant until full maturity, trombette can grow up to a metre long. As they grow, they change colour from pale green to ocre and the flesh inside becomes orange. At this stage, the squash is fully mature and can be used in risottos, soups, and roasted in the oven, in the same way you would cook butternut squash. I have trombette growing in my garden – they are very prolific plants and require no special care.

How to make Italian torta verde

Ingredients and substitutions

You’ll find the exact quantities of each ingredient in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

For the pastry (pasta matta)

• All-purpose white flour (Italian type 0 or 00)
• Water
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Unrefined sea salt

For the filling

• Italian erbette (perpetual spinach), spinach or Swiss chard (aka silverbeet)
• Zucchina di albenga (trombetta) or courgettes (zucchini)
• Leek (or peas)
• Onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Vegan cream cheese – I use my own homemade fermented cashew cream cheese but you can use any kind of spreadable vegan cream cheese for this recipe.
• Nutritional yeast flakes – Be sure to use nutritional yeast flakes, not powder. Alternatively, you could use Gondino or other vegan parmesan cheese.
• Salt – Coarse sea salt is best for this recipe.
• Pepper – I use freshly ground black pepper.

Instructions

You’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Make the dough (pasta matta)

• Put the flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, and salt in a bowl and mix all the ingredients together with a spatula. When the dough has come together, remove it from the bowl and knead it by hand on a worktop or in a food processor. If you have weighed the ingredients accurately, the dough should be of the correct consistency. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. Too dry? Add a bit more water. Knead for 5 – 6 minutes until the dough looks smooth and elastic, then shape it into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge for half an hour.

Make the filling

• Wash the erbette (or spinach or chard) and roughly chop it. Blanche the erbette/spinach by plunging it into boiling salted water for one minute. If using Swiss card (silverbeet), you’ll need to cook the stems a bit longer – add them to the boiling water first, and after 2 minutes, add the leaves. Drain the greens well in a colander and set aside.
• Slice the trombetta or courgettes (zucchini) and leek into 3–4 mm thick rounds. A mandoline can be handy for this, but a sharp knife works just as well. Finely chop the onion.
• Put the oil in a large pan and heat it up. Add the leek, trombetta, onion and coarse sea salt. Sauté on a medium/high heat with a lid on for 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. The goal is to partially cook the vegetables so that they soften slightly but still remain firm. The coarse salt will cause the trombette to release some water allowing them to cook in their own juices. If using courgettes/zucchini, sauté without a lid because they contain more water than trombetta. Putting a lid on will cause the mixture to become overly wet. Towards the end of the 10 minutes, turn up the heat, remove the lid and stir until all the liquid evaporates. If using peas instead of leek, add them at this stage.
• Add the erbette/spinach to the other vegetables. Next, add the cashew cheese, nutritional yeast (or vegan parmesan cheese) and black pepper and mix well.

Roll out the pastry

• Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and split it into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour onto a rectangle of baking paper the same size as an oven tray.
• Roll out the larger of the two pieces directly on the baking paper into a rectangle of approximately 30 x 40 cm (the same size as a standard oven tray).

Assemble the pie

• Once the filling has cooled down completely, spoon it onto the base of the pastry and spread it out evenly.
• Preheat the oven to 250 °C.
• Roll out the second piece of pastry dough to the same thickness as the first. This one will be a bit smaller. Lay it over the top of the filling. Using your fingers, wet the edges of the top sheet of pastry with water. Fold the excess pastry from the bottom layer over the top and seal the edges, performing a series of decorative pinches. Make a few slits on the top sheet of pastry to let the steam escape.

Bake the pie

• Slide the sheet of baking paper with the torta di Sanremo on it onto a very hot baking tray. Be careful because it will be very heavy! Place it on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 250 °C.
• After 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 210 °C and move the tray up to the 3^rd shelf. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. Ovens vary greatly, so feel free to decrease or increase temperatures and/or cooking times according to your own oven. The torta verde is done when the pastry is golden brown and crispy.

How to serve torta verde

Resist the temptation to eat it immediately and allow it to cool down completely. This is one of those savoury tarts that are best when eaten at room temperature – or, even better, the next day. This Italian green vegetable pie is great for taking on picnics, to the beach, on long journeys, or simply as a healthy portable lunch instead of a sandwich. It’s not messy to carry around and is nutritious enough to be a meal in itself. I pack it when I go hiking or sailing, and it’s also a great finger food to serve with a bottle of wine or beer when you have friends round. You can cut it into segments, like a pizza, or into squares, like I did.

How to store leftover torta verde

Any leftover torta verde can be kept at room temperature for a few hours. Any longer than that, it’s best to store it in the fridge, covered with baking paper or a kitchen towel.

Can you freeze torta verde?

Yes, you can. I recommend freezing torta verde in portions so that you can defrost the desired number of pieces without having to defrost the whole pie. It will keep perfectly well in the freezer for 3 months or more.

How to reheat torta verde

If you want to reheat torta verde, don’t use a microwave, as this will alter the consistency of the pastry – just heat it up in a preheated oven (200 °C) for about 3 – 4 minutes, and it’ll be even better than the day you made it.

To reheat from frozen: first, allow your torta verde to defrost entirely at room temperature and then proceed to reheat it in the oven as described above.

I’m sure you’ll love this Ligurian torta verde recipe! If you try it, I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below, or take a quick pic and share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook @vegan_hot_stuff – I love seeing your re-creations!

Frequently asked questions

What ingredients are used in torta verde?

Torta verde typically includes ingredients like the locally grown courgette variety called tromboncino or trombetta, erbette (perpetual spinach), spinach or Swiss chard, combined with ricotta cheese, eggs, and sometimes rice or potatoes. The dough is usually made from flour, olive oil, water​ and salt.

How is torta verde made?

The vegetables are briefly precooked, after which eggs and cheese and other ingredients are sometimes added. The filling is then encased between two layers of pastry called pasta matta, and baked in a hot oven until golden brown.

Can torta verde be made vegan?

Yes, torta verde can be made vegan by substituting dairy cheese and eggs with vegan alternatives like tofu, nutritional yeast, or vegan cheese.

What is the history of torta verde?

Torta verde is a traditional dish from Liguria, particularly from areas like Sanremo and Genoa. It has been a staple in Ligurian cuisine and is especially prized for its versatility and use of local, seasonal vegetables.

I hope you liked this vegan recipe for torta verde! If you did, it would be great if you could give it 5 stars and leave a comment below! It helps other readers to find my content and posts and ultimately makes my blog more successful! Thank you so much for your support! Deborah xx

Before you go, you might like to look at some other delicious vegan recipes for the summer season…

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