Erbazzone Reggiano di Bietola e Parmigiano

Ingredients

• For the pastry
• 300 g plain flour
• 80 g lard, cold, cut into small pieces
• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 60 ml cold water, or as needed to bring dough together
• For the filling
• 900 g beet greens (or spinach), trimmed weight, before blanching
• 60 g lard, for rendering in the pan
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 120 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; approximately 30% of the cooked, squeezed filling weight
• 1 tsp fine salt

Method

1. 1
   Make the pastry. Combine the flour and salt, then rub in the cold lard until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the olive oil, then the cold water a little at a time, working briefly until the dough just coheres. It should be smooth and pliable but not sticky. Wrap and rest for at least 30 minutes.
2. 2
   Blanch the beet greens in well-salted boiling water until fully wilted and tender — 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and spread to cool. When cool enough to handle, gather the greens into a ball and squeeze with both hands, repeatedly and firmly, until no further liquid runs out. This is where the dish lives or dies: any moisture remaining will saturate the bottom crust and prevent it from setting. Coarsely chop the squeezed greens.
3. 3
   Render the lard in a wide pan over medium heat until it turns clear and the pan is well coated. Add the garlic and allow it to colour lightly — the fat should carry the faint scent of toasted garlic. Add the chopped greens and sauté, turning them through the fat, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic. The greens should glisten with lard and be completely dry in the pan.
4. 4
   Transfer the greens to a bowl and allow to cool to below hand heat. Add the beaten eggs and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano — the full 30% proportion. Mix thoroughly. The filling should be dense, cohesive, and richly speckled with cheese throughout.
5. 5
   Heat the oven to 190 °C. Oil a flat tart or baking tin of approximately 28–30 cm diameter. Divide the pastry into two portions (or keep whole for the open-face version). Roll the base portion to 2 mm thickness and press it into the oiled tin, allowing a short overhang at the rim. Spread the filling evenly across the base. For the topped version, roll the second portion to 2 mm and lay it over the filling; fold and crimp the edges to seal. Pierce the lid in several places. For the open-face version, trim the base crust at the rim and leave the filling exposed.
6. 6
   Bake at 190 °C for 30 to 35 minutes. The pastry should be deeply golden — not pale, not merely set. At the edges of the open-face version, and through any tears in the topped crust, the Parmigiano should show the faint caramel tinge that marks correct heat penetration. Tap the underside of the tin: it should sound dry and firm.
7. 7
   Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack. Erbazzone is eaten warm or at room temperature; for optimal texture, serve within 4 hours of baking.