P
Italian · Reggio Emilia
Erbazzone Reggiano con Spinaci e Parmigiano
A flat, savoury tart from the Reggio Emilia area — a very thin double crust of lard-enriched pastry filled with blanched spinach or chard, Parmigiano Reggiano, lard-fried onion, garlic and eggs. Baked until the thin crust is crisp and the filling is set. Traditionally round, sold by the kilo at Reggiano bakeries, eaten warm or at room temperature as a snack or meal.
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I
The Market List
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For the pastry
300 g
plain flour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
lard (strutto)
cold, cut into small pieces
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
fine salt
Your own market
80 ml
cold water
approximately
Your own market
For the filling
800 g
spinach or chard
trimmed weight; or a mixture of both
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
medium onion
finely sliced
Your own market
2
garlic cloves
finely chopped
Your own market
50 g
lard (strutto)
divided: for frying and folding into the filling
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3
eggs
beaten
Your own market
100 g
Parmigiano Reggiano
freshly grated, plus extra for the top layer
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Make the pastry. Rub the cold lard into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add cold water a little at a time, bringing the dough together until it is smooth and not sticky. Divide into two equal pieces, flatten each into a disc, wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it yields to gentle pressure without springing back.
2
Blanch the greens in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until fully wilted and tender. Drain immediately and cool under cold running water. Gather the greens into a clean cloth and wring with force — then wring again. The mass should be hard and almost dry to the touch; any residual moisture will steam the base from the inside and prevent crisping.
3
This is where the dish lives or dies. In a wide pan, melt 30 g of the lard over medium heat and fry the onion and garlic until deeply golden — not pale, not softened, but richly coloured and sweet-smelling throughout. The fat should run golden and the onion edges should be just beginning to catch. Only at this stage is the flavour fully integrated; raw or under-cooked onion gives a harsh, unresolved filling.
4
Chop the squeezed greens finely and combine in a bowl with the fried onion and garlic, the beaten eggs, the grated Parmigiano, and the remaining 20 g of lard cut into very small pieces. Mix until evenly combined. The mixture should be cohesive and just moist — not wet and not crumbling.
5
Heat the oven to 200 °C. On a lightly floured surface, roll the first disc of pastry to 1.5–2 mm — it should be almost translucently thin. Lay it into a lightly greased round baking tray or tin (approximately 30 cm), allowing the edges to overhang. The pastry should drape easily without tearing; if it resists, allow it to rest a further five minutes.
6
Spread the filling evenly over the base, leaving a 1 cm border. Scatter a generous additional grating of Parmigiano over the surface of the filling. Roll the second disc equally thin and lay it over the top. Fold the overhanging base pastry up and over the edge of the lid, pressing firmly to seal. Score the entire surface with a fork in a regular grid pattern — this prevents puffing and allows steam to escape.
7
Bake at 200 °C until the crust is golden, crisp and pulling slightly from the sides of the tin. The surface should be dry to the touch with no soft or pale patches remaining. Serve warm or at room temperature. If resting overnight, reheat in a 180 °C oven for five minutes before serving.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Parmigiano Reggiano aged 24 months or more, from a single caseificio in the Reggio Emilia hills; artisan-rendered strutto from a Reggiano salumeria; heritage-breed lard with a clean, sweet depth.
02
Estate — Parmigiano Reggiano DOP aged 18–24 months; good-quality commercial strutto from an Italian supplier; fresh spinach and chard from a farmers' market, trimmed by hand.
03
Market — Parmigiano Reggiano DOP at the standard 12-month mark from a reliable cheesemonger; supermarket strutto or high-quality commercial lard; fresh bag spinach, well-squeezed.
04
House — Grana Padano in place of Parmigiano; widely available supermarket lard; pre-washed spinach. The dish remains good but loses the crystalline umami character and the distinctive crispness of the Reggiano original.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. The blanched greens, after wringing in a cloth twice, feel hard and almost dry — no water releases when squeezed a third time.
◇Smell. The frying onion smells sweet and deeply caramelised, with no raw sharpness remaining in the steam.
◇Sight. The rolled pastry, held up to light, is almost translucent at 1.5–2 mm — thin enough that the bench surface is faintly visible through it.
◇Touch. The baked top crust is completely dry and rigid to the fingertip, with no soft or yielding patches.
◇Sight. The surface is uniformly golden, the fork-scored grid is dry and lightly coloured, and the pastry has begun to pull from the tin edge.
◇Where it lives or dies. The onion must be fried in lard until deeply golden — not merely softened — before it enters the filling; under-cooked onion produces a harsh, unintegrated flavour that no subsequent step can correct.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
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