Parmigiano Reggiano Pancetta and Leek Ciabatta Bake

This easy-to-make family dish is made with torn-up ciabatta bread, leeks cooked in butter and little cubes of pancetta, with lots of grated Parmigiano Reggiano to create a glorious puffed-up savoury bread and butter pudding.

  • Preparation Time20 mins
  • Cooking Time40 mins
  • Serves4
40g Butter
2 Medium leeks, thinly sliced
1 Part-baked half ciabatta
150g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
3 Large eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
300ml Milk
150ml Single cream
80g Smoked cubetti di pancetta (pancetta cubes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  1.    Grease a 1.5 litre baking dish with a little butter. Melt the remainder in a frying pan and gently fry the leeks for 6-8 minutes until softened, but not browned.    
  2. Tear the ciabatta into small pieces and put a layer into the base of the baking dish. Scatter just over half of the leeks on top, then sprinkle with half the cheese.    
  3. Arrange the remaining bread chunks on top, followed by the rest of the leeks.   
  4. Beat the eggs and mustard together, then mix in the milk and single cream. Season with a little salt and pepper.    
  5. Pour evenly over the bread, then scatter the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano on top, followed by the pancetta cubes.    
  6. Cover and leave to stand for 20-30 minutes.   
  7. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan oven 170°C/Gas Mark 5.    
  8. Remove the covering from the pudding and bake for 35-40 minutes, until puffed-up and golden brown. Serve at once.

 

Cook’s tips: You can prepare the pudding several hours in advance (or even the day before). Just keep it covered and refrigerated until ready to cook. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the pancetta. Instead of ciabatta, you can use up bread that’s a little past its best – its dried texture soaks up more of the liquid. Simply substitute about 6 slices of bread from a large loaf, cut into triangles.