Pancotto del Gargano

I’m going to describe how to prepare Gargano’s Pancotto, a simple and rustic dish typical of the Apulian culinary tradition. The recipe may vary slightly from one family to another, but it usually involves the use of simple and genuine basic ingredients.

Ingredients

• 200 g of stale bread (better if it’s durum wheat bread)
• 1 liter of vegetable broth
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste (optional)
• Vegetables of choice (e.g., Swiss chard, chicory, cabbage) to taste
• Chili pepper to taste (optional)
• Grated pecorino cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. Cut the stale bread into small pieces or thin slices.
2. In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil.
3. Add the previously cleaned and cut vegetables; let them cook until they are soft.
4. Add the pieces of bread to the broth with the vegetables and cook over low heat for about 20-30 minutes, until the bread has almost completely broken down and the broth has thickened slightly. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. In a separate pan, brown the garlic cloves in plenty of extra virgin olive oil. If you like, you can also add some chili pepper.
6. Remove the garlic and pour the flavored oil into the pancotto.
7. Taste and adjust for salt and, if you wish, add a pinch of black pepper.
8. Serve hot, with a dusting of grated pecorino on the surface if you like.

Curiosity

Gargano’s Pancotto is a dish that was born from the need to reuse stale bread and to provide a hearty and caloric meal using few ingredients. It is a recipe that best reflects the philosophy of “poor cooking” typical of many areas of Southern Italy. This dish is often also enriched with the addition of legumes, such as chickpeas or beans, for a higher protein content.