What I brought home from Italy: Flatbread sandwiches

Piadina with Prosciutto, Pomodoro and Mozzarella. | Melissa Elsmo~for Sun-Times Media

Updated: August 27, 2012 10:56AM

Any competent soccer mom knows few things disrupt a family mealtime routine faster than a hectic tournament week-end.

Sure, conscientious parents ply young players with healthy bananas, water and cheese sticks to keep their energy up during intense games, but many inevitably pull into a drive-thru during long commutes between games to quell eager appetites.

Sadly, the road to victory is occasionally paved with empty calories, and I’ve endured more than my fair share of ho-hum, foil-wrapped chicken sandwiches in the name of all things soccer. Much to my relief, at a tournament last week I finally discovered a truly delicious grab-and-go alternative.

And I had the pleasure of going to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy to get it!

Traipsing across Italy with a team full of 12-year-olds with five days of all-consuming international games is a grand adventure unto itself and savoring a glass of wine and a prosciutto-filled piadina between games only enhanced our experience.

Thin and sturdy flatbread sandwiches called piadina are commonly sold by street vendors and offer locals and travelers alike a wholesome and savory mobile meal. The scratch-made flatbreads are a cross between a tortilla and pita featuring a slightly crisp exterior and a tender center. The signature breads are grilled to order before being filled with assorted cheeses, meats and vegetables.

Considering, piadinas proved to be equally enjoyable when consumed on the side lines or on a stroll through the scenic streets of Italy, I thought they might be gratifying when served stateside as well.

It took a couple of tries, but eventually I captured the essence of my favorite Italian street food at home. These simple sandwiches are a celebration of regional Italian cooking techniques and ingredients and offer the perfect drive through diversion.

Melissa Elsmo is an Oak Park mom, wife and chef/foodie. She speaks regularly about reclaiming the family dinner hour with nutritious meals. Check out her food blog at www.outofmelskitchen.blogspot.com.

Piadina with Prosciutto, Pomodoro, and Mozzarella

Feel free to switch up the fillings in these flat bread sandwiches to suit your personal tastes, but this classic Italian combination proved to be my favorite.

For the Piadina:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 ½ - 2 cup milk (room temperature)

For the Filling:

Sliced Heirloom or Roma Tomatoes

Mozzarella Fresca, sliced and sprinkled with minced chives

Prosciutto de Parma

Italian Parsley Leaves

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the all-purpose and whole wheat flours with the baking powder, parsley and salt. With the machine running on low, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Add 1 ½ cups milk and process until a smooth dough forms. Add additional milk as needed if mixture is too dry. Sprinkle a cutting board with flour and knead the dough by hand for a few minutes and form into a round disk. Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 45 minutes before cutting into 16 equal pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Sprinkle work surface, dough and rolling pin with flour. Roll each ball into a ¼-inch-thick circle. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add a circle of dough to the hot pan and allow to cook on one side for 2 minutes (prick any bubbles with a fork), flip and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes. Piadina should be golden and slightly crisp on the outside and soft in the center.

Fill the warm flatbread with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella slices, prosciutto and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Makes 16 10-inch-round flat breads. This recipe can be cut in half.

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