Piadina Romagnola: the story of a timeless Italian street food

There Piadina from Romagna It is one of the most iconic gastronomic products of Emilia-Romagna, protected by the trademark PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) since 2014. Known simply as “piada” in the Romagna dialect, it is a sheet of unleavened bread cooked on a terracotta plate (the text), eaten hot and stuffed with a variety of ingredients.

Its history is ancient: the first written records date back to the 14th century, when the poet Giovanni Pascoli described it as the bread of the poor. Today, it is considered a gastronomic symbol of quality, widespread throughout Italy and beloved abroad. Every family in Romagna has its own secret recipe—and the debate over lard vs. oil is still lively!

Why make Piadina Without Lard?

The traditional version of piadina uses the lard as fat, which gives it crispness and a characteristic flavor. Our version with Extra virgin olive oil It's just as tasty, nutritionally lighter, and more suitable for those following a vegetarian diet or reducing saturated fats. The result is a soft, fragrant, and evenly cooked piadina.

Piadina Romagnola Recipe Without Lard

There is nothing simpler and tastier than a good one Piadina from Romagna, a poor recipe with ancient origins loved, but loved and appreciated all over the world.

It can be stuffed with any ingredient, cooked ham, rocket, mozzarella and anything else that comes to mind, the result will always be extremely appetizing!

Follow our recipe to get an excellent Romagna piadina without lard with Extra virgin olive oil.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 12

Course Side dish, main course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 wraps

Calories 386 kcal

Equipment

Bowl
Cooking pan

Ingredients

300 g Flour "00"
150 g water
30 g Olive oil Extra Virgin
5 g salt

Instructions

Preparation

In a bowl, add the flour and water until completely absorbed, then add the extra virgin olive oil, finally, add the salt and knead until it forms a smooth, soft and well-strung dough.
Divide the dough into 4/5 balls, depending on how many wraps you want to get.
Cover the balls with a sheet of cling film and let them rest for about 30 minutes, finally, roll out each dough into disks with a thickness of about 2-3 mm.

Cooking

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, and when hot, place one flatbread at a time and cook until the bottom is slightly golden, then turn it over and finish cooking the second side.
Proceed in the same way for cooking the remaining wraps.

Notes

The wraps can be stored for up to two days at room temperature, or longer if frozen.

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How to Stuff Piadina: Classic Combinations

The Romagna piadina has no limits on fillings, but some combinations have become part of tradition:

Raw ham and squacquerone: the most traditional filling, with the robiola romagnola that blends with the heat of the piada
Arugula, raw ham and parmesan: freshness and flavor in one bite
Sausage and onion: rustic version, typical of summer festivals
Nutella and banana: the sweet version loved by the younger ones
Grilled vegetables and stracchino cheese: for a tasty vegetarian alternative

Regional differences in Piadina

There are two main versions, both protected by the PGI:

Classic Piadina Romagnola (Rimini, Cesena, Forlì): about 4-8 mm thick, soft in the center, slightly crunchy at the edges
Piadina Romagnola Rimini Style: thinner (3 mm) and slightly crispier, traditional of the Adriatic Riviera