Assemini, Cagliari province, Sardinia. The panada of Assemini is considered the most traditional form; the technique of raw assembly and slow baking in a sealed pie case is documented from medieval Sardinia. The Spanish-Sardinian connection (Aragon ruled Sardinia) likely influenced the pie form.
Panada (from the Sard 'panada') is the great Sardinian enclosed pie, most traditionally from Assemini (Cagliari province) and distinguished from the impanada by its size (larger, family-format) and its specific filling of raw lamb or eel layered with dried peas (piselli secchi, soaked overnight), onion, tomatoes, and saffron, all raw when they go into the raw pastry case. The entire pie is assembled raw — filling ingredients go in uncooked — and the long baking (1.5-2 hours) cooks everything simultaneously inside the sealed pastry. The pastry case is traditionally lard-enriched semolina dough.
Opening a panada at the table releases a burst of steam perfumed with lamb and saffron — inside, the lamb pieces are yielding and their juices have cooked the dried peas to a dense, flavourful softness. The pastry crust is crisp on the outside, slightly softer within from the steam. Each serving is a complete combination of protein, legume, and pastry.
The raw assembly is the key: the pastry case is lined, then filled with raw diced lamb, soaked dried peas, sliced onion, peeled tomatoes, and saffron dissolved in water. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and dried parsley. The raw lamb releases its juices during baking, which cook the dried peas and create the sauce inside the sealed pie — no added liquid is needed. Cover with the pastry lid, seal firmly. Bake at 170°C for 1.5-2 hours — low enough temperature that the pastry doesn't over-brown before the interior is cooked. The pie is ready when the pastry is golden and a knife inserted at the centre meets no resistance.
The raw-assembly technique of panada relies on the lamb's internal moisture — use shoulder or leg pieces with bone (the collagen from the bone enriches the interior liquid). The dried peas absorb the lamb juices during baking and become dense and flavourful. The eel version (panada di anguilla) from Assemini is even more traditional — the eel's fat bastes the peas and lentils during the sealed baking.
Not soaking the dried peas overnight — unsoaked peas won't cook in the baking time inside the sealed pie. Adding pre-cooked filling — the entire flavour principle is raw-assembly; pre-cooking produces a drier, less integrated result. Baking at too-high temperature — the pastry browns before the interior is cooked. Opening before the full time — the steam inside is cooking the filling; premature opening causes a dramatic temperature drop.
Slow Food Editore, Sardegna in Cucina; Carol Field, The Italian Baker