La Zuppa Gallurese

Zuppa gallurese or cuata (hidden) is the typical 'lasagna' from the Gallura sub-region, considered the first of wedding meals. An experienced cook was called in for the occasion because the soup at a wedding had to be excellent and associated with the bride and groom's good fortune. It is a dish of peasant origin, which falls under the definition of a 'poor man's dish', but which has very little that is poor about it!

This typical Sardinian dish is prepared with stale bread, or in some areas with Sardinian spianata, a very tasty and aromatic broth of fresh meat, such as beef, mutton and chicken, with a mixture of spices such as celery, onion, bay leaf, mint, tomatoes (a couple) and a few mint leaves and pecorino and cow's milk cheese, su 'casizzolu' similar to caciocavallo.

The dish is composed in a tall baking dish: the bread is placed about 1 cm thick and covered with fresh cheese, grated pecorino cheese and parsley, repeating the operation alternately until the ingredients are finished. Then, slowly pour the broth, soaking all the layers, without exaggerating because the soup must be solid at the end of cooking, and to avoid dry areas, prick with a fork while pouring, also to make sure that the broth reaches the last layer. Finish with a final layer of cream cheese and bake at 200 °C.