Every time we celebrate a birthday or a holiday, or simply gather the family around a table for the pleasure of spending time together, eating good food, my mum and my grandma make a sformato, a flan.
Every season has its preferred vegetable: spinach, green beans, cardoons, or artichokes. The vegetables are typically cooked and pureed, then mixed with bechamel sauce, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and an egg to keep everything together. Once you have scraped the sformato into a baking pan, you sprinkle the surface with breadcrumbs and dot it with butter, then you bake it until firm. It’s a comforting side dish, but on an average weekday, it can double as a main course, with a green salad as a side.
