Herbs, shortcrust pastry and lard: this is the original Erbazzone Reggiano recipe!

Erbazzone Reggiano: perfect recipe to prepare a savory pie made with chard and lard. Also perfect for a picnic or as a single dish.

The erbazzone cake, also known by the dialectal name of scarpazzone, is easy and greedy rustic Reggio Emilia. A shortcrust pastry shell encloses the filling made from chard, parsley, spring onions, parmesan and lard. The ideal is to prepare this savory pie towards the end of June when the chard is in season. But in truth you can also use spinach, or a mix of equal parts of spinach and beets.

As we have already revealed to you, pasta for Emilian Erbazzone is a brisé: you can easily buy it ready-made at the supermarket, to prepare a very quick recipe, or simply make it at home with a few steps. Today we want to teach you the recipe from scratch , then you will tell us if it’s worth it.

Preparation of the Reggiano Erbazzone

1. To prepare the salted Reggiano herbazzone, start with the crazy pasta. Put the flour on a surface and add about two teaspoons of lard and a drizzle of oil. Mix well by pinching with your fingers so that large lumps of dough are formed.
2. Now gradually add the lukewarm water and continue to knead until you get a fairly smooth and homogeneous dough.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
4. Switch to the filling by carefully washing the chard (and / or spinach) then boil it in plenty of salted water. When it is ready, drain and squeeze it to eliminate all excess water .
5. Then chop the parsley and cut the lard into cubes (unless you have a soft enough one that you can break up with your hands).
6. Place a large non-stick pan on the stove and melt about 180 g of lard , then add the garlic and spring onions.
7. When they are golden brown, remove the garlic and add beets, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.
8. Once the filling is ready, let it cool, then add the chopped parsley, cheese, salt and pepper and mix.
9. Now take the dough from the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin so that it becomes pretty thin . You can also help yourself with your hands in this step. If you have a hole in the dough, don’t worry, once it is in the pan you can fold it so that the hole closes without problems.
10. Grease the pan with oil and insert the shortcrust pastry and then the filling with a nice thick layer (about 2-3 cm ).
11. Close your erbazzone with the chard helping you with the excess pasta . Don’t worry if the surface will be wavy, in the traditional recipe that’s just how it should be.
12. Add the last pieces of lard over the entire surface of the cake, prick it with the tines of a fork and bake in a preheated static oven at 180 ° C for about 50 minutes , until the dough is golden and with a toasted appearance. .
13. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

storage

The already cooked Erbazzone can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or well covered with cling film for food for 2 days . If you have used fresh ingredients you can also freeze it in the freezer, both cooked and raw, and put it in the oven if necessary before serving it on the table.