What’s better than piadina romagnola? Crescione, which are stuffed piadina romagnola! (Also called “cassoni”).

This version filled with greens and cheese is very similar to the one my grandmother Lea used to make, but she would go gather wild greens from the fields to prepare it for us. Since I’ve been living in the USA, I often decide what to cook based on what I find at the supermarket, especially seasonal food, or sales. When I saw the bags of fresh mixed greens “Power to the greens” at Trader Joe’s, I immediately thought of grandma Lea’s piadina, and decided to give them a try.

These mixed greens are quite flavorful and a bit bitter (as they should be), so I sauté them in a pan with a few cubes of sweet pancetta, then I add a little cheese in the filling.

Crescioni romagnoli stuffed with greens are delicious, try them and you won’t regret it!

Cost estimate:

Total recipe cost: $11.23, each is $1.88. Prices calculated as of September 2025. Flour is Janie’s Mill Frederick Flour, organic power greens, provolone cheese, pecorino romano cheese, and cubed pancetta are from Trader Joe’s. Extra virgin olive oil is from Whole Foods. Milk is lactose free.

Ingredients

For the piadina dough:

Prepare the basic dough for piadina I posted here.

For the filling:

• Power to the greens bags 2 (340 grams)
• Provolone slices 6 (100 grams)
• Pecorino 6 teaspoons (40 grams)
• Diced pancetta (or bacon) 2 tablespoons (30 grams) *
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic optional
• Chili pepper optional
• Olive oil 1 tablespoon (15 grams)

Method:

Prepare the greens

Rinse the greens and drain them well, then put a pot large enough to contain them on the stove. Pour the oil in the bottom of the pot and add the pancetta, brown it and add the greens.

Cover the pot and cook for a few minutes, check for doneness, turn off the heat and drain any excess water. Chop them using a knife, transfer to a bowl and add salt, pepper, and chili pepper, mix well.

How to fill the crescione with greens

Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Dust the work surface with a little flour and roll out each ball into a disc about 20 cm in diameter and 2 mm thick.

Distribute on half of each disc half a slice of provolone, one spoon of the greens, some grated pecorino, and the other half of the provolone slice. Close the crescione into a half-moon shape over the filling and seal the edges well by pressing them with the tines of a fork. Continue this way and prepare the other 5.

How to cook crescioni

Crescioni should be cooked on the traditional terracotta testo placed over a hot fire. Alternatively, a non-stick pan with a fairly thick bottom works well too. So heat up a non-stick pan and cook the crescione for 2-3 minutes on each side. Flip it and let it cook on the other side. Also cook it along the flat edge by standing it up for a few seconds.

Your crescioni romagnoli with greens are ready! You can eat them hot, or let them cool, close them in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for 2/3 days; you can also prepare them, freeze, and take them out when you’re in a hurry.

Tips:

*pancetta/bacon is optional