Ingredients (to serve four):
One quantity of Nonna’s tomato sauce (see below)
800ml (27 fl oz) hot stock, ideally homemade, but fine with good quality shop-bought
Eight sheets of pane carasau
150 g (5¼ oz) pecorino
Grated handful of basil leaves
Torn sea salt
Four eggs
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Green salad, to serve
How to make pane frattau:
Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF/Gas 6). Warm up your sauce and your stock in separate saucepans. Choose a nice deep gratin dish (I always make this in a round terracotta one). Cover the bottom with a layer of pane carasau.
Spoon over a generous ladle of the warm stock and let it soak in. Then spoon over a ladleful of your tomato sauce and sprinkle over a handful of the cheese. Add a shred or two of basil.
Repeat this process, layering up the bread soaked with stock, the sauce and cheese as though you were making lasagne. Save some cheese and basil for the very top. I normally make around four to six layers.
When you have finished layering, if there is any stock left, drizzle it around the sides and edges to make sure everything is nice and saucy. Finally, make little dents in the top of the dish to contain your eggs.
Crack the eggs into their little nooks, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and basil, add a pinch of salt on the yolks and a little pinch of chilli flakes, if using, and place in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the eggs whites are set. Eat with a green salad.