Flatbread Sandwich with Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, and Lemon-Chili Ricotta

Directions

1. For grilling and assembling sandwiches
2. To prep broccoli rabe: Rinse thoroughly to remove any grit hiding among the leaves. Cut off the tough bottom ends, and split any stalks that are more than ½” thick. Toss the rabe with olive oil, water and salt. Leave to soften for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature. (Technique for prepping and grilling broccoli rabe adapted from Judy Rodgers' The Zuni Cafe Cookbook.)
3. To prep ricotta: Mix together ricotta, lemon zest, Aleppo pepper, 2 to 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil, and just enough lemon juice to loosen to a good spreading consistency. Cover and set aside.
4. To get the grill ready: Prepare a gas grill with all burners on medium, or a charcoal grill with hot coals. Clean the grilling rack if needed, and brush it with olive oil.
5. To grill piadina: Brush both sides of each round with olive oil and grill over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. They should be crispy and charred in spots but still soft and pliable. Remove from grill, and wrap in foil or a dish towel to keep the flatbread warm while you continue grilling.
6. To grill broccoli rabe: Arrange the broccoli rabe in a single layer on the grill. Grill about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until tender and blistered in spots. (Taste if you're unsure if the stalks are tender.) If the stalks are charring quickly but aren't tender, spray or drizzle a few drops of water on them. Remove from grill onto a large platter or sheet pan to cool. (You don’t want to stack the broccoli rabe while it’s still hot because it’ll lose its crisp, papery texture.)
7. To grill peppers and sausage: Brush each side of the red bell pepper halves with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Also brush the sausages with a small amount of olive oil. Grill until the red bell peppers are charred and tender, and the sausages are evenly browned and cooked through. Sausages are easy to overcook, so don’t feel shy about using a meat thermometer. You’re looking for about 140 degrees in the middle. Let the sausages rest for about 5 minutes, then cut each one down the middle lengthwise to open like a book. Cut each bell pepper into thin strips.
8. To assemble sandwiches: Smear one side of each flatbread generously with the lemon-chili ricotta, then top with red bell pepper strips, sausage, and broccoli rabe.

1. For piadina
2. In a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and rosemary. Add the lard and mix at medium-low speed until evenly combined. Slowly add the water, mixing until the dough is a cohesive mass. Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead until smooth, 5 minutes, at medium speed. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed in a large bowl and kneaded by hand.) Divide the dough into 6 pieces (or 8, if you want slightly smaller flatbreads) and form each piece into a ball. The dough can be rolled out right away, or cover each ball with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes until ready to use.
3. Roll out each ball to an 8 to 10-inch round, about 1/8inch thick, on an unfloured or very lightly floured work surface. (I like rolling the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap.) Stack the rounds on a tray, with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper between each round. Cover the top round as well. Set aside until ready to grill.