Piadina
Ingredients:
- 500 g flour
- 300 g lard
- Salt
- A pinch of baking soda
- Lukewarm water
Preparation
Mix the flour with the lard, salt, baking soda, and water. Knead the dough until it becomes rather firm. Roll it out into discs about ½ cm thick and 15 cm in diameter.
Traditionally, the piadina is cooked on the testo, a special pan originally from Montetiffi, once commonly used. Alternatively, you can use a non-stick pan. Just remember to prick the piadina with a fork and flip it frequently. Once cooked, fill it as you like!
Romagnolo Ragù
Ingredients:
- 500 g peeled and cleaned tomatoes
- 50 g diced pancetta, 300 g lean beef, and 150 g chicken livers
- 50 g butter
- ½ glass of red wine
- Meat broth
- Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg
Preparation
Sauté a finely chopped mix of onion, carrot, celery, and pancetta in butter. Once golden, add the beef and chicken livers, and let them brown for a few minutes. Pour in the red wine and let it evaporate, then add the previously peeled and deseeded tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Occasionally add a few spoonfuls of meat broth and let simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes.
Passatelli
Ingredients (serves 6):
- 150 g breadcrumbs
- 200 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 4 eggs
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 50 g beef marrow
- Meat broth
Preparation
Mix all the ingredients and add salt to taste. To shape the passatelli, you’ll need a special tool called “ferro”, but a potato ricer can also work.
Cook your passatelli in plenty of boiling meat broth. As soon as they float to the surface, they’re ready. Serve hot.
Marinated Saraghina
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 500 g saraghina (sardines)
- ½ glass vinegar
- 2 glasses flour
- 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
This is a delicious dish from the traditional “cucina povera” of Romagna. Heat the testo (griddle), flour the sardines, and grill them on the hot surface. Once cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, hot vinegar, and chopped garlic.
Pollo alla cacciatora
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 2 chickens, halved
- White wine
- Tomatoes
- Rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste
Preparation
Cut the chicken into pieces and season it with all the ingredients. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the meat well on both sides for about 10 minutes. Halfway through cooking, add the wine, and just before the end, the tomatoes. This dish pairs perfectly with vegetables that enhance its flavour.
Ciambella romagnola
Ingredients (serves 6):
- 500 g flour
- 300 g sugar
- 100 g butter, 100 g margarine, a knob of lard
- 3 eggs plus 1 yolk for brushing
- 1 packet of baking powder
- Grated lemon zest
- Milk to blend the dough
Preparation
Mix the flour with the melted butter, margarine, and lard. Add the eggs, sugar, and enough milk to form a firm dough. Add the baking powder and lemon zest. Butter a cake tin and pour in the dough. Brush the surface with the remaining egg yolk and bake for about 30 minutes at 180°C (or less in a fan oven).
Perfect for dipping in Albana, Romagna’s sweet wine, this cake is delicious at any time of day.
