🇮🇹 Italian · Main Dish
🍳 Pane Frattau
Pane Frattau
Sardinia's clever way of softening its famously crisp pane carasau, layering it with tomato sauce, pecorino, and a poached egg for a rustic, satisfying dish once favored by shepherds.
This dish transforms the shepherd's long-keeping pane carasau, which needs moistening before eating on its own, into a genuinely satisfying meal by soaking the sheets in hot broth and layering them with tomato sauce, cheese, and a soft poached egg.
Ingredients
Equipment: Wide shallow dish, Saucepan for sauce, Pan for poaching eggs
- 6 sheets pane carasau
- 600 ml (2½ cups) hot vegetable or meat broth
- 400 g (14 oz) tomato passata
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh basil
- 100 g (1 cup) grated pecorino sardo
- 4 eggs
- 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic briefly, then add the passata and basil, simmering for 15 minutes to make a simple sauce.
- Season the sauce to taste.
- Briefly dip a sheet of pane carasau into the hot broth to soften, just a few seconds per side, then place in a wide shallow dish.
- Spread a layer of tomato sauce over the softened bread and scatter with grated pecorino.
- Repeat with additional softened sheets, sauce, and cheese, building 2–3 layers per portion.
- Poach the eggs separately in gently simmering water until the whites are set but yolks remain soft.
- Top each portion with a poached egg and an extra scattering of pecorino.
- Serve immediately while warm.
Chef Tips
- Dip the bread only briefly in the hot broth — too long and it will disintegrate rather than simply soften.
- Build individual portions rather than one large dish, as the layered bread can become fragile once softened.
- A well-made, runny poached egg is essential, as its yolk becomes part of the sauce when broken.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Oversoaking the bread, causing it to fall apart rather than softening into pliable layers.
- Overcooking the eggs, losing the runny yolk that's meant to mix into the dish.
- Skimping on the pecorino, which is a defining flavor element.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein from the egg and cheese, with lycopene from the tomato sauce.
Cultural Note
Pane frattau was historically a practical shepherd's meal, transforming the long-lasting pane carasau bread into a hearty dish using whatever tomato sauce, cheese, and eggs were on hand.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Best eaten immediately; the softened bread does not hold well.
Reheating: Not recommended; best assembled and eaten fresh.
Serve with: A simple green salad