Patate alla lucana (Basilicata Potato Casserole) Recipe

Italian cuisine is not generally known for potato gratin dishes. But here’s one from the little-known cuisine of Basilicata that is sure to be a crowd pleaser: patate alla lucana, potatoes layered with onions and tomatoes, scented with oregano and pecorino cheese. Considered a side dish or contorno, I sometimes like to “reinforce” the classic recipe with mozzarella and anchovies, turning it into a light main course or one-dish supper. And while the tomatoes mark this as a traditional summer dish, I made patate alla lucana using canned tomatoes on a recent chilly January evening. It was perfectly The name alla lucana refers to Lucania, the ancient land of the Lucani people which roughly coincided with the current region of…