Stuffed Onion with Mortadella and Greens

Serves 4 

As you can tell, stuffing vegetables is popular in the countryside. It is a great way to make vegetables into a complete meal. One thing about this recipe you will notice is the addition of mortadella. What the Lunigianese refer to as mortadella is not the same meat we think of in the US. In the Lunigiana, mortadella is a sweet, soft salami similar to the Genoa Salami we have in the states. You can make this dish with any soft Italian salami, if you can’t find this regional version.

4 medium red onions, cored, and the cores set aside for the filling

4 eggs

½ cup (about ½ pound) finely chopped mortadella, or other soft salami  

½ cup chopped onion (from the cored parts)

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1½ cups finely chopped chard

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Clean and cut the top off the onions, ¾-inch from the top, and cut the bottom of the onion so it sits flat. Gently remove the core and inside layers of the onion with a paring knife, so that the onion is hollow, but still rigid enough to hold the stuffing. Chop enough removed onion to yield ½ cup.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped chard, mortadella, chopped onion,Parmesan, eggs, and salt, and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the cavity of the cored onions and fill to the top.Transfer to a 2-quart roasting pan. Drizzle with oil, add the broth, and bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm.