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Patate alla lucana (Basilicata Potato Casserole)

Ingredients

  • 750 g 1-1/2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
  • 500 g 1 lb tomatoes, peeled and sliced (or canned tomatoes, drained and sliced)
  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • Oregano q.b.
  • Pecorino cheese q.b.
  • Breadcrumbs q.b.
  • Olive oil q.b.
  • Salt

For my main course version:

  • 100-150 g 3-4 oz mozzarella or scamorza, or more if you like
  • Anchovy fillets to taste

Instructions

  • Grease the bottom of a baking or gratin dish with olive oil. Lay down a layer of potato slices. (I like to lay them in slightly overlapping rows, like roof tiles, but you needed be so "pignolo" if you don't care about looks.) Sprinkle the potatoes with salt. Then lay down some tomato slices here and there, along with some of their juice, then some onion slices. If using, add the mozzarella or scamorza and/or a few anchovies. Sprinkle over some oregano and then grate some pecorino on top. Finally, drizzle everything with olive oil.
  • Repeat this layering process until you have run out of potatoes. Top the final layer of potatoes with some tomatoes, generous amounts of grated pecorino and a nice sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Drizzle olive oil all over, in a cross-hatch pattern so the crumbs are well impregnated with oil.
  • Bake in a 180C/350F oven for a good hour or so, or until golden brown on top and the juices that the tomatoes will have given off has (mostly) cooked off. If the top is not done to your liking after an hour, increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F and continue baking for a few minutes more.
  • Let the potatoes cool off for a good 10-15 minutes before serving.