Today, I decided to try making a “cuzzetiello”. I had heard about it and it sounded interesting, so I thought, why not give it a shot?
Getting Started
First, I looked up what exactly a cuzzetiello is. Turns out, it’s basically the end part of a loaf of bread, a big, crusty chunk. In Naples, they use it to make a kind of super-sandwich, stuffed with all sorts of goodies.
So, I went to the bakery and picked up a nice, fresh loaf of Italian bread. I asked them not to slice it, because I needed that whole end piece.
Prepping the Bread
Back home, I carefully sliced off the end of the loaf – the cuzzetiello. It was a good size, nice and crusty. Then, I hollowed it out a bit. I pulled out some of the soft, inner bread to make room for the fillings. It was important to not to get to carried away, I did not want to make the bread shell too thin, or it will break. I saved the bread I pulled out, you can always use that for breadcrumbs or something later.
The Filling
- I decided to go with a classic Neapolitan filling: meatballs in ragu.
- I already made a big batch of ragu with meatballs, so this was perfect. If I had not had this already prepared I would have started cooking this first.
- I carefully spooned the hot ragu and meatballs into the hollowed-out cuzzetiello.
- I made sure to fill it up, but not so much that it would overflow.
The Final Touches
I gently placed it on a nice plate, to avoid making a mess. And there it was, my very own homemade cuzzetiello!
Tasting Time!
I took a big bite, and wow! The crusty bread soaked up all that delicious ragu, and the meatballs were perfect. It was messy, for sure, but totally worth it. It’s like a whole meal in a bread bowl!
I definitely recommend trying this if you ever have the chance. It’s a fun, and tasty, way to use up the end of a bread loaf.
I plan to use some different ingredients next time.
