Erbazzone

Erbazzone is a traditional Emilian recipe, a kind of rustic savory pie with a vegetable filling based on chard or spinach and ricotta. Here is how to prepare it.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 300 g of flour
• 150 ml of water
• 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt

For the filling:

• 500 g of chard or spinach
• 200 g of ricotta
• 100 g of grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• 1 clove of garlic (optional)
• 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• Breadcrumbs (if necessary, to absorb excess moisture)

Preparation

1. Prepare the dough by kneading the flour with water, oil, and salt until you get a smooth and elastic mixture. Let the dough rest covered with a damp cloth for about 30 minutes.

2. In the meantime, clean the chard or spinach, removing the toughest parts. Wash the vegetables and cook them in a pot with a little salted water for about 5 minutes. Once cooked, squeeze them well to remove all the excess water.

3. In a pan, fry a clove of garlic in the oil, then remove it and add the vegetables to cook for a few minutes to flavor them.

4. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, and a grating of nutmeg. Add the cooked vegetables and, if the mixture is too wet, add some breadcrumbs.

5. Roll out half of the dough into a thin sheet and line the bottom of a previously oiled baking dish.

6. Evenly distribute the vegetable and ricotta filling over the pastry.

7. Roll out the other half of the dough and cover the filling, sealing the edges well.

8. Make small holes on the surface to allow moisture to evaporate during cooking.

9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40 minutes, or until the erbazzone is golden brown.

Curiosity

Erbazzone, also known as Scarpazzone, is very popular in Emilia for its simple yet rich flavor. In some variations, diced pancetta is also added for an even more decisive taste.