L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano I f i r s t e n c o u n t e r e d pane cunzatu not in S i c i l y b u t i n t h e northwestern village w h e r e I g r e w u p , which was, as you may imag- ine, deeply Catholic. After major celebrations, especially the midnight Mass on Christ- mas Eve, the choir, our parish p r i e s t , F a t h e r M a r c o , t h e altar servers and anyone who had helped with the service would gather in the rectory upstairs. Back then, Father M a r c o ' s h o u s e k e e p e r w a s from Sicily, and she always prepared pane cunzatu for us: she would slice open a still-warm loaf, add tomatoes, oregano, anchovies, plenty of olive oil, and a little cheese, then give it a quick turn in the oven before bringing it to t h e t a b l e . I t w a s s i m p l e , quick, and it always hit the spot. In no time, it became part of the rhythm of parish life during special celebra- tions. Only later did I learn that t h i s " s n a c k " h a d a l o n g regional history and that in Sicily it's much more than an improvised bite, it can be a bona fide full meal. P a n e c u n z a t u , s o m e - times written as pane cunza- to, literally means "seasoned bread," and it comes from the Sicilian verb cunzare, mean- i n g " t o s e a s o n , d r e s s o r arrange." Needless to say, this is exactly what this dish does: it turns plain bread into something more substantial by adding a few well-chosen i n g r e d i e n t s . I t ' s e a s y t o describe it as the result of necessity: in rural Sicily, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e w e s t e r n provinces, it was a way to make day-old bread into a full meal for workers who needed something filling and practical to carry to the fields and that wouldn't easily spoil; considering how harsh their jobs were, it also needed to h a v e t h e r i g h t b a l a n c e o f macronutrients to keep work- ers going: a solid base of car- bohydrates, some healthy fats and a good source of protein. Its association with the rural world of Sicily becomes m o r e b l a t a n t i n s o m e o l d sources, which refer to it as "pane della disgrazia," the bread of misfortune, because you ate it when there was nothing else available. In a sense, that's quite accurate, as pane cunzatu was usually made with what the house- hold produced or preserved: bread from semolina wheat, tomatoes in season, cheese made locally, anchovies or sardines in salt or oil, and a steady supply of olive oil. Before the modern recipe appeared in cookbooks, the dish existed in this flexible, improvised form across dif- ferent parts of the island. The best-known version of pane cunzatu today is linked to Scopello, a small village n e a r t h e Z i n g a r o N a t u r e Reserve: the bread – often cucciddatu or another rustic s e m o l i n a l o a f b a k e d i n a wood-fired oven – is sliced open while hot, drizzled with olive oil and layered with f r e s h t o m a t o e s , s l i c e s o f primo sale cheese, oregano and anchovies. Some ver- s i o n s i n c l u d e c a p e r s o r olives, depending on what is at hand. After assembling it, the baker returns the loaf briefly to the oven so the fill- ings warm and the flavors mix. Scopello's association with this preparation has made pane cunzatu a com- mon stop for people heading to the Tonnara di Scopel- lo or the coastal paths of the Zingaro Reserve, and its p o p u l a r i t y t h e r e h e l p e d s t r e n g t h e n t h e i d e a t h a t "the" pane cunzatu is the Scopello one, although simi- l a r p r e p a r a t i o n s e x i s t throughout the region. They typical ingredients are, of course, those of a tra- d i t i o n a l S i c i l i a n p a n t r y : b r e a d m a d e f r o m d u r u m wheat semolina offers a fra- g r a n t , r u s t i c b a s e , w h i l e tomatoes appear in different forms depending on the sea- son: fresh in summer, pre- served or semi-dried in other times of the year. Primo sale, a young sheep's milk cheese, is a mild but tasty addition; anchovies, either salted or oil-packed, give pane cun- z a t u i t s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c "oomph" and oregano is just the perfect herb to top some- t h i n g s o q u i n t e s s e n t i a l l y Mediterranean. Variations on this canvas are common: in some parts of southern Sicily, especially around Ragusa, a version using capuliato, a finely chopped dried tomato mix- ture, is very popular, while in o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e i s l a n d grilled vegetables like egg- plant or peppers are added; some families may include olives or different types of c h e e s e s . C o n t e m p o r a r y recipes found in home-cook- ing blogs allow for even more flexibility, using whatever rustic loaf is available and adapting the filling while keeping the core idea intact: bread, oil and a few strong flavors that go well together. Today, pane cunzatu is both a regional specialty and a rediscovered tradition: it began as a practical response to limited means, only to shift into a symbol of culi- nary history and regional pride, something that hap- pens often when it comes to our beloved cucina povera. And my own memory of e a t i n g i t a f t e r C h r i s t m a s Mass belongs to this wider story of how foods travel and g a t h e r n e w a s s o c i a t i o n s w h i l e s t i l l k e e p i n g t h e i r essential, original form. Pane Cunzatu (serves 2–3) 1 medium loaf of rustic Italian bread (about 12 oz) 2 - 3 m e d i u m t o m a t o e s , thinly sliced 1 tsp dried oregano 4-6 anchovy fillets ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup grated pecorino or Parmigiano or, if you find it, slices of fresh primo sale Salt and pepper to taste Slice the loaf horizontally and drizzle both sides gener- ously with olive oil. Layer the t o m a t o e s , a n c h o v i e s a n d cheese, season with oregano, salt and pepper, and close the sandwich. Warm it in a 375°F oven for 5-7 minutes, just until heated through. Slice and serve warm. FRANCESCA BEZZONE Tomatoes, anchovies, olive oil, cheese and oregano: here's the simple ingredients of a good pane cunzatu sandwich (Photo: Roberto Maggioni/Dreamstime) Pane Cunzatu: an everyday Sicilian classic with deep roots LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES

• Cover