Cooked Bread: Pancotto

Name: Cooked Bread: Pancotto
Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 pound fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 2 whole dried pepperocini, plus more for garnish; 1 tablespoon currants or raisins; 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley; 6 canned plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded; 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts; 6 cups hot water; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups stale bread, broken into pieces; 10 fresh mint leaves; 1/4 cup fennel fronds

13 ingredients

9 steps

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 whole dried pepperocini, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon currants or raisins
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
6 canned plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
6 cups hot water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups stale bread, broken into pieces
10 fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fennel fronds

Directions

1

In a large soup pot, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat.
2

Add the garlic, fennel, whole chiles and currants and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3

Add the parsley, tomatoes and the toasted pine nuts, stirring to combine.
4

Cook the tomato mixture for about 25 to 30 minutes.
5

Add the hot water, salt, and pepper, to taste, stirring to combine.
6

Bring the tomato stock to a boil and add the bread pieces.
7

Allow the stock to cook 1 minute more so that the bread has a chance to heat up and thicken the stock before removing from the heat.
8

Stir in the mint leaves and fennel fronds and season each individual bowl of pancotto with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
9

Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with fennel fronds and pepperocini.