Piadina Romagnola – Italian Flatbreads with Ham and Arugula Recipe
Piadina romagnola is a thin, soft flatbread from the Emilia-Romagna region, served with various fillings. It’s Italy’s answer to tortillas or pita – perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. In this version the filling is classic: ham, cheese, and arugula, but you can tuck inside almost anything you find in the fridge.
Piadina romagnola is a soft, flexible flatbread from Emilia-Romagna, cooked on a dry griddle like an Italian version of a tortilla but with a more bread-like texture. Filled with ham, cheese, and arugula, it becomes a warm, satisfying “from the pan” sandwich ready in minutes. It’s the street food of Italian seaside towns brought into the home kitchen.
Chef's tips
Knead the dough for piadina only briefly, just until the ingredients come together – overworking it can make it tough. Before rolling, let it rest for at least 20–30 minutes under a cloth so the flatbreads are more elastic and don’t shrink in the pan. Cook the piadine on a well-heated, dry pan – the appearing air bubbles are a sign the dough is just right; add the filling while the flatbread is still warm so the cheese has time to melt.
How to serve
Serve piadina with a simple tomato and cucumber salad as a quick, warm weekday lunch when you don’t have time to cook multiple pots. For an evening get-together with friends, fry up a stack of flatbreads and set out bowls with various fillings – ham, cheeses, grilled vegetables, pesto – so everyone can assemble their own version. To drink, a light red wine or simply sparkling water with lemon is perfect, just like in small bars in Rimini.
Ingredients
- flour - 300 g
- water lukewarm - 120 ml
- milk can be replaced with water - 60 ml
- lard or olive oil traditionally lard is used; olive oil gives a lighter version - 40 g
- baking powder - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt - 0.5 teaspoons
- Parma ham or other cured ham in thin slices - 120 g
- cheese sliced or grated - 120 g
- arugula washed and dried - 40 g
Preparation
- In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the lard or olive oil, then pour in the water and milk. Knead by hand or with a dough hook until you get a smooth, soft dough that doesn’t stick much to your hands. If needed, add a little flour or water.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin round about 20 cm in diameter, dusting lightly with flour so it doesn’t stick.
- Heat a dry non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Place the first flatbread in the pan.
- Cook for 1–2 minutes, until light brown spots appear on the bottom and air bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes. The flatbread should be lightly browned but still soft and flexible.
- Cook the remaining flatbreads in the same way, stacking them on top of each other and covering with a cloth so they don’t dry out.
- On half of each warm flatbread, arrange slices of cheese, then ham, and a handful of arugula. Fold the flatbread in half and press gently.
- If you like, you can briefly reheat the folded piadina in the pan for about 1 minute on each side so the cheese melts slightly.
- Serve immediately, cut into halves or quarters.
Storage
Keep leftover plain flatbreads in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat briefly in a dry pan before filling. Filled piadine are best eaten fresh; if needed, store in the fridge and reheat in a pan or sandwich press, being aware the arugula will wilt.
