Erbazzone Reggiano di Bietola e Parmigiano

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.