Pancotto is a traditional dish from Southern Italy ; in Puglia, especially in the Bari area, it’s made with arugula and potatoes. Instead of vegetable broth, I’ll use pure arugula extract, with its bitter, bold notes.
Here’s how to prepare it:
Ingredients :
- 500 g of mountain potatoes
- 4 shallots
- 250 ml of vegetable broth
- 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 500 g of rocket
- 4 slices of stale Altamura bread
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt to taste
- Chili pepper to taste
Procedure:
For the potato cream:
Clean the shallots and potatoes and slice them thinly. In a saucepan, slowly sauté the shallots with the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Add the vegetable broth and cook for 40 minutes , stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, blend until smooth, and keep warm. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
For the rocket:
Remove 250 g of arugula and set aside the extract. Sauté the remaining 250 g of arugula with garlic, oil, and chili pepper in a pan for a few seconds.
For the bread:
Cut the stale bread slices into rounds, removing the crusts. Soak the bread in the arugula extract , letting it absorb completely.
Assembling the dish:
In a shallow dish, spread a layer of hot potato cream. Arrange the sautéed arugula and the bread disc soaked in the extract in the center. Finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil .
An extra tip: For a more indulgent variation, add a sprinkling of grated aged caciocavallo cheese or a sprinkling of crunchy crumbled tarallo.
Enjoy your meal!