Tiella pugliese Recipe

Even though my paternal grandfather was from Grumo Appula, a small town outside Bari in the southeastern Italian region of Puglia, I don't remember eating much pugliese food growing up. Other than a few dishes—orcecchiette with cime di rape (also known as broccoletti), that wonderful calzone di cipolla (onion pie) that I just recently rediscovered, and cavatieddi with tomato and ricotta—the Italian food I remember growing up with was basically from Angelina's native Campania. But I've always been curious about the cooking of Grandpa's native region.

When you mention pugliese cooking to many Italians, right after orecchiette they will often think of tiella pugliese, a hearty casserole of mussels with rice and potatoes, something like a cross between paella and a potato gratin. Although it requires a few preparatory steps and then a layering of different ingredients, it is a remarkably easy dish to make—after it is assembled it almost literally cooks itself. It makes a very satisfying piatto unico for a light dinner or first course of a substantial meal.