Piadina, a rustic hearthbread from Romagna, is centuries old and used to be baked on stones set over an open fire. It is traditionally served warm with sautéed greens or other toppings such as prosciutto or cheese. Fresh piadine and a glass of chilled Frascati make the perfect snack.
preparation time 50 minutes, plus 1 hour for dough to rest
cooking time about 40 minutes
serves 6
Ingredients
600 g (11⁄4 lb) plain flour
25 g (1 oz) butter softened
900 g (2 lb) fresh spinach, washed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
75 g (3 oz) onions, finely chopped
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
50 g (2 oz) pine nuts, toasted
25 g (1 oz) raisins
75 g (3 oz) ricotta cheese
75 g (3 oz) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Sift the flour into a large bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the softened butter and enough warm water to make a firm dough. Turn the dough out on to a work surface and knead for 15 minutes, until smooth and elastic, then cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 1 hour.
2 Divide the dough into pieces about the size of a pingpong ball and flatten them with the palm of your hand to 5 mm (1⁄4inch) thick.
3 Heat a dry heavy-based frying pan or a cast-iron griddle until very hot, then cook the piadine in it for 4–5 minutes, until they are slightly burnt underneath and bubbles appear on the surface. Turn over and cook the other side, then remove from the pan and cover them to keep warm.
4 Place the spinach in a deep pan with just the water clinging to its leaves, cover and cook for a few minutes until wilted and tender. Drain well, squeezing out excess moisture, and chop finely.
5 Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic and onions and cook until soft. Add the chopped spinach, nutmeg, pine nuts and raisins and mix until the spinach is heated through.
6 Stir in the ricotta and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Pile neatly on to the warm breads and serve straight away.
Try serving the topping for these breads on its own or as an accompaniment. It has become a favourite way of serving spinach in our house.