The typical cuisine of Lucca is one of the tastiest in Tuscany. From delicious tordelli and tasty soups to traditional buccellato and many other delicacies, there's plenty to delight even the pickiest palates.
Among all these wonders, however, there's one dessert that's particularly appreciated by the "DOC" people of Lucca, the recipe of which has been changed many times and almost lost over time - "Torta co’ becchi". It's a shortcrust pastry crust in the shape of a crown that's filled with vegetables and spices: the perfect balance between sweet and savory. Here, we suggest the original recipe from Lucca. It's a delicious dessert that's rich in traditional country flavors and aromas of the past.
For the filling
For the shortcrust pastry
Dough: cook the parsley and chard in salted water. Drain, then finely chop, before frying in a pan with butter and oil. Meanwhile, boil the rice in half milk and half water. Soak the bread in milk and squeeze it. Grate the pecorino and parmesan. In a bowl, mix together the cooked vegetables, the drained rice, the squeezed bread, parmesan and pecorino, eggs, sugar, pepper, nutmeg, pine nuts, pepolino or thyme, and salt.
Shortcrust pastry: mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, salt and lemon zest, then add the oil and eggs. Knead together until you get a compact dough. Wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the shortcrust pastry into a 28cm pan, leaving 2cm before the edge of the pan. Inside, after piercing the dough with a fork, put in the dough, leveling the surface. To form the "beaks", cut the edges crosswise with the tip of a knife at a distance of 2cm and roll them inwards. Brush with egg yolk to make them shiny and golden. Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
