Panada di Agnello — Sardinian Lamb and Pea Pie

The evening before, cover the dried peas generously with cold water and leave them to soak overnight at room temperature. They are ready when each pea has swollen to roughly twice its dry volume and the skin yields without resistance under a thumbnail.

Make the pastry. Combine the semolina and salt in a wide bowl. Rub in the cold lard with the fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with no large pieces of fat visible. Add the lukewarm water a little at a time, working the dough until it coheres into a firm, smooth mass that does not crack at the edges when pressed. Wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 170 °C. Divide the rested dough roughly two-thirds to one-third. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece to a disc approximately 5 mm thick and large enough to line a 24–26 cm round, deep-sided baking tin with an overhang of 2 cm all around. Lay the disc into the tin, pressing it firmly into the base and sides without tearing.

This is where the dish lives or dies: the filling must go in entirely raw. Layer the drained soaked peas across the base of the pastry case. Distribute the raw lamb pieces evenly over the peas, including all bone-in pieces — the collagen from the bone will enrich the interior liquid as it bakes. Scatter over the sliced onion and the peeled, chopped tomatoes. Spoon the saffron water across the surface. Season generously and evenly with the salt, black pepper, and dried parsley. Do not add any further liquid; the raw lamb will release its own juices during baking, which will cook the peas and form the sauce inside the sealed pie. No pre-cooking, no broth.

Roll the remaining dough to a disc of the same thickness to form the lid. Lay it over the filling. Press the lid and the overhanging base dough firmly together, then fold and crimp the edge inward to create a tight seal around the entire circumference. The seal must be continuous — no gaps through which steam can escape during baking.

Place the pie on the middle shelf of the 170 °C oven. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, without opening the oven door during baking — the steam inside is cooking the filling and any premature opening causes an immediate temperature drop inside the sealed case. The pie is ready when the pastry is an even, deep gold across its entire surface and a thin knife or skewer inserted through the lid at the centre of the pie meets no resistance from the filling below.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to rest in the tin for 10 minutes before carrying it to the table whole. Open it at table: the crust will release a burst of steam carrying the scent of lamb, saffron, and sweet cooked peas. Serve in wedges, ensuring each portion includes pastry, lamb, and peas with their accumulated juices.