Basilicata is the small region tucked between Campania, Puglia and Calabria. It is historically one of Italy’s poorest regions and its simple but tasty cuisine reflects this fact. In Basilicata the pig is king, and pork products abound: salami, capocollo, soppressata, sausages, but lamb and goat are also popular. Some smaller artisans have turned once more to rearing cows on the hillside pastures and there are some excellent cheeses available, with burrata and cow’s milk mozzarella two of the most popular, providing the perfect accompaniment to Basilicata’s delicious durum wheat bread.
Traditional Dishes:
Pane Cotto: Cooked Bread
There are lots of different recipes for pane cotto in various regions, but all have their roots in the need to make the best of a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 200 g stale bread
- 50 g leeks, finely chopped
- 1 liter of water
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 pinch dried chilli pepper
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Grated Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a terracotta pot.
- Add the leeks and chilli pepper.
- Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat until the leeks have become transparent.
- Pour in the water and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling, salt to taste and add the eggs, stirring energetically with a wooden spoon.
- Place the stale bread in 4 soup plates, add a handful of parsley to the soup and check seasoning again.
- Pour soup over bread and serve immediately.
- (You could also add a little grated Parmesan if desired.)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Minestra Ricca: Rich Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g potatoes
- 100 g fresh cannelloni beans
- 100 g zucchini
- 100 g celery
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 liter vegetable broth
- Chopped parsley
- 4 slices stale bread
- Chili pepper
Instructions
- Dice the potatoes, zucchini and celery.
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a pan.
- Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat then add the vegetable broth.
- Simmer for 1 ¼ hours, adding a handful of chopped parsley after about 45 minutes.
- Check seasoning.
- To serve, arrange a slice of stale bread in each plate and cover with the minestra.
- For those who like it, a final pinch of chili pepper is normally added just before eating.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Lagane con Lenticchie: Homemade Pasta with Lentils
Here you can of course substitute the homemade pasta with shop bought pasta and still have a tasty, healthful dish. Also, it used to be that lentils had to be soaked overnight, but this is mostly no longer the case, however read the instructions on the packet just to make sure.
Ingredients
- 400 g durum wheat flour
- 100 g small green lentils
- 1 small onion, minced
- 50 g pancetta, diced
- Small sprig of rosemary
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons tomato passata
- 400 ml of water
- Salt
Instructions
- Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and just enough water to make a smooth pliable dough.
- Roll dough out thinly and cut into long tagliatelle type lengths.
- Set pasta out on a clean tea towel and leave to one side.
- Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the onion, bacon and rosemary.
- Cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat.
- When the onion starts to turn golden brown, discard the rosemary and add the lentils.
- Add the tomato passata, a good pinch of salt and about 400 ml of water.
- Simmer until lentils are tender, adding more water if necessary.
- Cook the pasta in abundant salted boiling water, removing as soon as it floats to the surface.
- Toss the pasta with the lentils (it doesn’t matter if the end result is a little soupy).
- Serve immediately with some freshly ground pepper and a final drizzling of extra-virgin olive oil.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Agnello con Funghi: Lamb with Mushrooms
A very simple recipe that is fast to prepare and quite delicious. Accompany with roasted or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 kg lamb (shoulder or leg)
- 600 g mixed mushrooms
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 dried chilli pepper, chopped
Instructions
- Cut the lamb into small pieces and, using a piece of kitchen paper, wipe the mushrooms clean.
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a terracotta pot.
- Add the lamb and the chilli pepper and cook the meat until it is browned on all sides.
- Toss in the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, then cover pot and place in an oven that is preheated to 160ºC.
- Cook for about an hour, every so often turning the lamb and mushrooms in the juices that form, and adding a very little bit of water if necessary.
- Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Melanzane Imbottite: Stuffed Eggplant
You can prepare these eggplants in advance and cook them at the last minute or cook them in tin foil over a barbeque in the summer, for a great accompaniment to grilled meat.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggplants
- Salt
- 100 g black olives, pitted and finely chopped
- Handful of capers, rinsed and finely chopped
- Handful of grated pecorino cheese
- Handfuls of fresh basil and mint, finely chopped
- Pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, and place them in a little salted water.
- Leave for about half an hour, then rinse and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
- Using a sharp knife, make a series of deep criss-cross cuts in the flesh without, however, puncturing the skin.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olives, capers, pecorino cheese and chopped mint and basil and season with pepper.
- (Don’t add any more salt as the olives, capers and cheese are already very salty.)
- Place the eggplants in an oven proof dish and spread the olive caper mixture over the top.
- Drizzle with olive oil and cook in a preheated oven at 160ºC for about an hour.
- Serve either warm or cold.
Number of servings (yield): 4