At the Table of La Fortezza: Chard Tart Recipe
There is a lot of excitement around La Fortezza these days…my newest cookbook is being released September 13, 2022!
At the Table of La Fortezza, The Enchantment of Tuscan Cooking from the Lunigiana Region. Rizzoli NY is my love letter to this authentic and undiscovered region of Italy. Not only do I share recipes from the region of the Lungiana, but I also write about the history of the region and its rugged beauty.
Plus, I am delighted to share recipes from the cookbook on my YouTube Channel, All About Annette. I hope you will subscribe and cook along with me in my kitchen at La Fortezza. Here’s the first recipe in the series.
Chard Tart (Torta d’Herbi / Erbazzone)
Serves 6-8
Cucina Povera means “Poor Kitchen” and refers to the simple ingredients that are found growing in your backyard garden or living in your pantry. I find this food philosophy a fascinating way to think about and prepare food. It forces you to be creative. Here in Lunigiana and in nearby regions like Liguria, vegetable pies are a staple. Everyone has a vegetable garden, there are flour mills nearby, and many people keep chickens, so vegetable pies are a natural dish. Torta d’Herbi is a classic regional side dish found in every specialty store, in grocery stores, and on restaurant menus. It shows up on every table here.
The name of this recipe translates to “herb tart,” because the Italians colloquially refer to the wild greens picked in fields, including chard, as herbs. The chard is the same we find in America, which is why there’s no need for a substitute ingredient to make this tart at home.
Ingredients for Tart Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 tablespoons butter
¼ cup warm water
½ teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Filling:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
¼ cup diced pancetta
2 cups of red onion thinly sliced
8 cups cleaned chard
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing the top
To Make Dough:
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle blade, place flour, oil and butter on a slow setting
Add warm water slowly, once combined, take out the dough, divide in half and form 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes in the fridge
To Make Filling:
Place the oil and butter into a medium saucepan on medium heat
Add spring onions and pancetta sauté until onions are transparent
Add chard to the pan, salt and pepper and minced garlic, stir to combine until wilted
Once the mixture has cooled, add the chopped parsley together and Parmesan cheese
Combine and set aside to cool
Preparation of Tart:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F
Once the dough rested, roll 1 half the dough into a ¼ “ round place into a 9 ½ “ round tart pan
Place the chard mixture on top of the dough distributing it evenly
Roll out the second half and place over the filling
Seal all sides brush the top with olive oil
With a fork prick the top of the pie all over, and with a knife, cut 4 slits in the center
Place into the oven for 30-40 minutes, the crust should be golden brown
Cool and serve at room temperature, with the tart cut into 2 inch square pieces