Pane Cotto with Swiss Chard
The Italian Pane Cotto with Swiss Chard is a delicious, easy to make dish filled with beans, leafy greens, and topped with bread and cheese. Options to include meat or make the recipe vegan included.
Equipment
- Oven-proof pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups crusty bread preferably old/stale, cut or shredded into 1-inch chunks
- ⅓ cup olive oil divided
- 2 tsp dried herbs oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, thyme all work fine
- 1 large white or yellow onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard roughly chopped
- 2 cups cannellini beans or beans of your choice (can also use 1 - 15 oz can, rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup white wine Italian or a dry white (can substitute equal amount for stock)
- ½ cup chicken or veggie stock if making your own beans, bean juice can be substituted for stock
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese also good with Pecorino or Grana Padano cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn broiler/grill option on the oven.
- Add cut bread to a large bowl, then drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and add dried herbs, tossing to coat. Spread the seasoned bread evenly into a baking sheet. Pop into the oven, watching closely as not to burn, turning bread to make golden brown on all sides. Remove from oven and set aside until needed.
- Reduce oven heat to 325 F or around 180 C.
- While croutons are baking, add the remaining olive oil to an oven-proof pan over medium heat. Place chopped onions into the oil, cooking until soft before adding the minced garlic. Add Swiss chard, wine, and chicken stock, cooking until liquids reduce by about a quarter. Add beans and stir to mix. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Then top with toasted croutons, followed by the grated cheese.
- Pop the pan into the oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown and dish is bubbling. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Notes
This dish is excellent leftover, so don't hesitate to save and reheat to serve again.
