Apulian pancotto, a humble dish born from the recovery of stale bread

It can also be found in other regions of Italy, with variations influenced by the seasons and by the availability of local ingredients.

In the Apulian tradition, pancotto is prepared by cooking vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, courgettes, and turnip tops directly in the cooking liquid, to which the bread is later added. Aromatics, meanwhile, are sautéed separately and incorporated only at the moment of serving.

It is undoubtedly a humble dish, born from the tradition of recovering leftover bread and transforming it into something nourishing and flavourful

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Water for cooking 400 g stale bread, cut into medium-sized pieces
• 4 medium potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil, preferably a Coratina variety olive oil
• 600 g mixed greens, already cleaned — chicory, rocket, turnip tops — or greens of your choice
• 1 clove of garlic and 1/2 onion
• 2200 g sausage or pancetta
• Salt to taste Chilli pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan and sauté the garlic, chilli pepper, and sausage or pancetta.
2. Bring water to the boil in a deep pot, season with salt, then add the onion and potatoes. When the potatoes are halfway cooked, add the greens and continue cooking for about twenty minutes.
3. Add the bread and cook for one additional minute, then drain everything.
4. Serve piping hot after adding the sautéed ingredients prepared earlier, finishing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, preferably a Coratina monovarietal olive oil.