Piadina with Prosciutto, Arugula, and Stracchino

About This Recipe

Piadina is a thin, unleavened flatbread from Emilia-Romagna, cooked on a hot griddle and traditionally filled while warm with cured meats, soft cheeses, and greens. It's Italy's answer to a quick street-food wrap, sold from roadside stands across the region. The dough comes together fast with flour, lard or olive oil, and water, then rests briefly before rolling thin and cooking on a dry, very hot pan until spotted brown. Filled immediately while still warm and pliable, the piadina folds around its filling without cracking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gall-purpose flour
• 80 glard or olive oil
• 1 tspbaking soda
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 180 mlwarm water
• 200 gstracchino or soft cheese
• 150 gprosciutto(thinly sliced)
• 2 cupsarugula

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, lard, baking soda, and salt. Add warm water gradually, kneading until a smooth, soft dough forms, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Rest the dough

   Cover and let rest for 20 minutes so it becomes easier to roll thin.

3. 3

   Divide and roll

   Divide into 4 pieces and roll each into a thin, roughly 25cm round.

4. 4

   Cook on a dry griddle

   Cook each round on a hot, dry griddle or pan over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes per side, until browned in spots.

   No oil needed in the pan — a dry surface gives the right texture.

5. 5

   Fill while warm

   While still warm, spread stracchino over half of each piadina, then layer with prosciutto and arugula. Fold in half and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Use squacquerone cheese instead of stracchino for the traditional Romagna combination.

• •

  Swap prosciutto for grilled vegetables and a drizzle of balsamic for a vegetarian version.

• •

  Add sliced figs alongside the prosciutto in late summer for a sweet-savory contrast.

Storage

Unfilled piadina keeps 2 days at room temperature wrapped in a towel, or freezes well; reheat briefly on a dry pan before filling.

Frequently Asked Questions