Recipes Piadina with Ricotta, Prosciutto and Arugula 4.0 (5,076) 1 Review Throughout the towns of Emilia-Romagna are little food stands, where piadina (flat bread) is grilled to order and sandwiched around a variety of fillings, like cheese and prosciutto. Paul Bartolotta describes piadina as Italy's defense against fast food—while it's fast to make, it's real food with a cultural past. His version is hearty and irresistible, especially when sandwiched with milky, fresh ricotta cheese, salty prosciutto and a vibrant arugula salad. Plus: More Italian Dishes By Paul Bartolotta Paul Bartolotta F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Restaurant: Ristorante di Mare (Las Vegas); Lake Park Bistro, Ristorante Bartolotta, Bacchus (Milwaukee) Experience: Spiaggia (Chicago), San Domenico (NYC) Education: Milwaukee Area Technical College (restaurant and hotel management program) Who taught you to cook? What is the most important thing you learned from them? I have been blessed with many mentor chefs. My first maestro was Giovanni Marangelli. He was my first chef in my native Milwaukee and left a profound impact on my life. After months of preparing the ingredients for every dish, watching him cook and then tasting and plating the final dish, I was frustrated that he never let me actually cook. One night, he stepped off the line and said, “You’re cooking tonight, not me.” Stunned, I did just that. I realized that by knowing the ingredients in correct proportion, watching him cook and intimately knowing the final product, I knew how to cook. He had taught me this formula: Balance of ingredients + Time + Temperature = Taste What was the first dish you ever cooked by yourself? Italian eggs, a.k.a. scrambled eggs made with olive oil. What is the best dish for a neophyte home cook to try? Almost anything. Just try it! What’s the most important skill you need to be a great cook? Patience. Is there a culinary skill or type of dish that you wish you were better at? I am curious about molecular gastronomy but not interested enough to change the way I cook and view food. What is the best-bang-for-the-buck ingredient and how would you use it? Buy the best extra-virgin olive oil you can find. Name three restaurants you are dying to go to in the next year, and why? Some unknown restaurant in a port where I dock my sailboat...TBD! What are your talents besides cooking? I am a good communicator. What is the most cherished souvenir you’ve brought back from a trip? Documents for my Italian passport. What dish are you famous for? More than any single dish, I’m known for sourcing and overnighting the freshest seafood from the Mediterranean, what I like to call my Italian-speaking fish, like my live langoustines that flock in my tanks until they are summoned for the pleasure of my guests. Favorite cookbook of all time? La Grande Cucina Regionale Italiana, by Fernanda Gossetti. One technique everyone should know? How to season food. What’s the best-bang-for-the-buck food trip? Where would you go and why? Rent a sailboat with a skipper, sail to port towns, find the best local olive oil, seafood and vegetables to make super-simple lunches. Then eat in the locals’ favorite restaurants. If you could invent a restaurant for an imaginary project, what would it be? A beach restaurant with plastic furniture under umbrellas, and a huge grill to cook fish. What’s the best house cocktail? An Aperol Fizz. What is your current food obsession? Live crustaceans and mollusks. What do you eat straight out of the fridge, standing up?Salumi e formaggi. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 21, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Alpha Smoot Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Kosher salt 4 ounces lard or vegetable shortening (1/2 cup), at room temperature 3/4 cup water 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese Freshly ground pepper 4 ounces baby arugula (4 cups) 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, mortadella or salami Directions In a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, baking soda and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the lard and mix at medium-low speed until evenly combined. Slowly add the water, mixing until the dough forms a mass around the hook. Increase the speed to medium and knead until smooth, 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Wrap the balls in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 225°. Heat a cast-iron griddle until very hot. On an unfloured work surface, roll out each ball to a 10-inch round, about 1/8inch thick. Brush both sides of each round very lightly with oil and grill over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Wrap in foil and keep the breads warm in the oven while you cook the rest. In a small bowl, season the ricotta lightly with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the 1 tablespoon of oil and the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 breads on a work surface and spread with the ricotta. Top with the prosciutto, followed by the arugula salad. Cover with the remaining breads, cut into quarters and serve warm. Suggested Pairing This version of Emilia-Romagna's favorite street food pairs very well with the region's most famous wine: simple, appealing Lambrusco, a light, sparkling red made from a variety of local grapes. Rate it Print