Dried zucchini, pancetta and potatoes in tomato sauce is a typical dish made by my family in the south of Italy. Make use of dried zucchini in a unique and delicious way!

Last summer, I showed you how my family in Italy dries zucchini in the sunshine, and how I now follow the tradition in California, and promised a later post on how to use that dried zucchini.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Well, I had originally intended on writing the post in the winter (because that’s when you want to eat dried zucchini, not in summer when there’s plenty of the fresh stuff around), but I just never did it.

So here it is (better late than never), and I’m hoping that seeing this dish and how wonderful it looks, now, will inspire you to dry some zucchini for the winter (see, there is a method to my madness)!

Dried zucchini tastes completely different than fresh, and, other than trying it yourself, I couldn’t even attempt to describe the flavor; it is deliciously unique with a great texture, and isn’t at all as mushy as fresh zucchini can be.

You can make your own pancetta to use in this dish, or buy some instead (or skip it to make it vegetarian or vegan), but use good quality potatoes and tomatoes (fresh), canned tomatoes or a jar from Italy or you will surely be disappointed.

You can make this dish with or without the tomatoes. I love it both ways, so give each version a try and see if you like one better than the other!

Dried Zucchini, Pancetta & Potatoes
(in Tomato Sauce)

Recipe by Nonna Chiarina serves 4

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

dried zucchini
good quality extra virgin olive oil
fresh garlic
hot pepper, fresh or dried (optional)
pancetta (omit if vegetarian)
potatoes
tomato puree (fresh or good quality tomato puree in jars)
bay leaves
Kosher or sea salt
black pepper

Start by soaking the dried zucchini with very hot water (not from the tap – heat it up first). Set aside for about half an hour or until the zucchini has softened.

Meanwhile, slice the pancetta, and peel and cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces, and set aside.

(If the potatoes will be cut more than a few minutes ahead of when you’ll be using them, keep them in a bowl covered in water so that they don’t turn brown; this applies to every recipe).

Rinse the zucchini and drain well; set aside.

In a medium sized pot over medium to medium-high heat, add the olive oil and fry off the garlic, bay leaves, pancetta and hot pepper, if using.

Brown the garlic and pancetta just a little, then add the zucchini.

Next, add the tomatoes or puree and then the water (if you would like to make this without tomatoes, just add water at this point).

It will look like this. Add salt, and bring it to a boil; then lower to a simmer.

Add the potatoes, a little more salt, and stir well. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are cooked, stirring occasionally. If it is drying up too much and the potatoes aren’t cooked, add more water as needed.

Remove from heat, taste to see if it needs more salt, and add black pepper. Serve immediately while it’s hot.

Buon Appetito!!

Don’t miss another recipe or travel post, sign up for my free subscription!