Zuppa di Pane Nero e Verze

Name: Zuppa di Pane Nero e Verze
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Valdostana
Ingredients: 500 g savoy cabbage; 300 g pane nero; 250 g fontina dop; 40 g Butter; 1.2 l Beef stock; 1 clove Garlic; 1 pinch Ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper

A comforting Valdostan layered soup of dense rye bread, tender savoy cabbage, rich stock, and melted Fontina DOP cheese.

🇮🇹Italy· Aosta Valley

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 520 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g savoy cabbage — shredded, tough outer ribs removed
300 g pane nero — stale Valdostan rye bread, sliced 1 cm thick
250 g fontina dop — rind removed, thinly sliced
40 g Butter — mountain unsalted butter
1¼ l Beef stock — rich and hot
1 clove Garlic — peeled and lightly bruised
1 pinch Ground cinnamon — subtle traditional spice note
½ tsp Fine sea salt — to taste
¼ tsp Black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•Large saucepan
•Earthenware or ceramic baking dish
•Chef's knife
•Ladle

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 520 kcal
fat: 28 g
carbs: 46 g
fibre: 6 g
protein: 24 g
calories: 520 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan).
2
Melt half the butter with the garlic clove in a large saucepan over medium heat.
3
Add the shredded savoy cabbage and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4
Cook the cabbage for ten minutes until wilted and sweet, then discard the garlic clove.
5
Rub the base of a deep baking dish with a tiny smear of butter.
6
Arrange a layer of sliced stale rye bread across the bottom of the dish.
7
Spread half the cooked cabbage over the bread, followed by half the sliced Fontina cheese.
8
Repeat with a second layer of bread, the remaining cabbage, and the remaining Fontina.
9
Pour the hot beef stock gently over the layers until the bread is fully soaked.
10
Dust with a tiny pinch of cinnamon and dot the remaining butter over the top.
11
Bake for thirty minutes until the cheese is bubbling, golden brown, and the stock is absorbed.

Chef's tips

Use genuinely stale, dense sourdough rye bread so it absorbs the broth without disintegrating into mush. Genuine Fontina DOP melts with a rich, earthy aroma; do not substitute with processed meltable cheeses. Allow the baked dish to rest for five minutes before serving so the layers settle.

Ingredient substitutions

Fontina DOP → Gruyère or mild Taleggio
pane nero → dense German rye bread or crusty wholemeal sourdough
beef stock → rich roasted vegetable stock for a vegetarian version

Storage

Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat in an oven at 170C with a splash of hot stock until warmed through and bubbly.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using soft commercial sliced rye bread, which dissolves immediately into paste.
•Adding cold stock to the dish, which prevents the bread from softening evenly.
•Over-salting the broth before accounting for the natural saltiness of the Fontina.

Serving suggestions

Serve directly from the hot baking dish into wide, warmed earthenware bowls.Pair with a glass of crisp Valle d'Aosta Torrette or Enfer d'Arvier red wine.Accompany with cured Valdostan motzetta (cured beef) as an antipasto.