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Italian · Reggio Emilia

Erbazzone Reggiano

Erbazzone (also called scarpazzone in some dialects) is a savoury pie from Reggio Emilia — a thin, crisp pastry crust enclosing a filling of Swiss chard (bietole), onion, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lard, and sometimes pancetta. It is the quintessential Reggiano street food, sold in slices from bakeries and market stalls, eaten at room temperature or warm, and served as antipasto, merenda (afternoon snack), or light supper. The pastry is a simple unleavened dough of flour, lard, salt, and water — rolled very thin so that it crisps in the oven into something closer to a cracker than a pie crust. The filling is cooked before assembly: the chard is blanched, squeezed dry, and sautéed with onion, garlic, and rendered lard or pancetta, then mixed with generous Parmigiano-Reggiano. The assembled erbazzone is brushed with lard on top (the traditional finish, though modern versions may use olive oil) and scored with a pattern of cuts that allow steam to escape and create a decorative pattern. Baked at high heat until the crust is deeply golden and shatteringly crisp. Erbazzone is deeply tied to the agricultural calendar of the Reggiano countryside — it is made when the chard is in season, it uses lard from the autumn pig slaughter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano from the local caseifici. It is poor food made rich by the quality of its ingredients and the skill of its assembly.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
ServesSix to eight portions
Total1 hour 30 minutes
Sourced0of 12 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

For the pastry
300 g
plain flour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
lard
cold, cut into pieces
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
fine salt
Your own market
80 ml
cold water
added gradually
Your own market
For the filling
1 kg
Swiss chard (bietole)
leaves and tender stems
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
onion
finely chopped
Your own market
2
garlic cloves
finely chopped
Your own market
60 g
lard
rendered, for sautéing
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
pancetta
diced; optional
Your own market
120 g
Parmigiano-Reggiano
finely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
fine salt
adjust to taste
Your own market
To finish
30 g
lard
melted, for brushing the top
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II

The Method

1
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water a little at a time, working the dough only until it coheres into a smooth, firm ball — it must not be sticky. Divide into two equal pieces, wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it is supple but holds a clean edge when cut.
2
Blanch the Swiss chard in well-salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, refresh briefly under cold water, and squeeze with both hands — repeatedly and firmly — until no further moisture can be extracted. Chop very fine. The chard must be dry enough to leave the chopping board clean.
3
In a wide pan over medium heat, render the lard. If using pancetta, add it first and cook until the fat runs. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute further. Add the chopped chard and raise the heat: cook, stirring, until every trace of visible moisture has evaporated from the pan. This is where the dish lives or dies — residual moisture in the filling will prevent the bottom crust from crisping and the whole structure will collapse. The pan should appear dry and the chard should sizzle, not steam.
From the canon — Lay the Sus scrofa domesticus pork belly skin-down. Pancetta — Arrotolata and Stesa Pork Belly Cure →
4
Remove the filling from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt — the filling must be assertively seasoned, as the thin pastry contributes little flavour of its own.
From the canon — Parmigiano-Reggiano is the most important cheese in Italian cooking and arguably the most technically demanding cheese produced anywhere in the world. Parmigiano-Reggiano — Production and Culinary Use →
5
Heat the oven to 220 °C. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough to 2–3 mm — cracker-thin, not pie-crust thick. Line a lightly greased shallow rectangular or round baking tin (approximately 30 × 40 cm) with the first sheet, allowing a slight overhang. Spread the filling evenly to the edges. Lay the second sheet over the top and press the edges together to seal, trimming any excess. The pastry should conform closely to the filling with no air pockets.
6
Brush the entire surface of the top crust generously with melted lard. Score a diamond or crosshatch pattern across the top with a sharp knife, cutting through the pastry at regular intervals. The scoring is not decorative in origin — it allows steam to escape; an unscored top will balloon and collapse.
7
Bake at 220 °C for 25 to 30 minutes. The erbazzone is done when the crust is deeply golden — not pale gold but amber — and the surface is shatteringly crisp when tapped with a knuckle. A pale crust signals underbaking; the pastry will be leathery rather than cracker-crisp.
8
Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve warm or at room temperature. The lard-based pastry holds well wrapped at room temperature for up to one day.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Chard from the kitchen garden at the height of the season; aged Parmigiano-Reggiano (30 months or more) from a named caseificio; lard rendered at home from the autumn slaughter; pancetta di Reggio artigianale.
02
Estate — Farm-market chard; a young Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP (24 months); quality butcher's lard; good artisan pancetta.
03
Market — Supermarket Swiss chard; Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP bought by the wedge; vacuum-packed lard; standard pancetta tesa.
04
House — Spinach substituted for chard; pre-grated Parmigiano; olive oil used in place of lard throughout — the texture will differ markedly from the traditional version.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Touch. The chard, after squeezing, leaves the chopping board dry — no pooling liquid.
◇Sound. The filling sizzles audibly in the pan rather than steaming; when the sizzle turns dry and sharp, moisture has gone.
◇Touch. Rolled pastry holds a clean edge when trimmed and does not spring back thickly — 2 to 3 mm throughout.
◇Sound. The baked top crust rings sharply when tapped with a knuckle — a dull thud means the crust is still soft.
◇Sight. The surface is uniformly deep amber across the scored pattern, not pale gold in the centre.
◇Where it lives or dies. Residual moisture in the chard filling will prevent the bottom crust from crisping and the dish will be irredeemably soggy.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Bisol Cartizze Dry
Bisol · Prosecco DOC / DOCG
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Sparkling wine
From British Columbia
Fort Berens Riesling
Fort Berens Estate Winery · Lillooet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic

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The whole pairing
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