Pane Cunzato
Pane Cunzato
Aeolian open-faced sandwich
Katie Parla•
January 2, 2026
The Aeolian Islands, a chain off the northern coast of Sicily, are inundated in the summers with visitors from Sicily, mainland Italy, and beyond. While the islands’ pricey restaurants generally leave much to be desired, their bars, bakeries, and cafeterias offer beach-ready island food that won’t break the bank. The most quintessential of these is pane cunzato, or rusk, hard durum wheat bread or rusk that has been cunzato (dialect for the Italian condito, meaning “dressed”) with toppings much like an open-faced sandwich. Ingredients like juicy tomatoes season and soften the hard bread. For a more portable version, toast another 1/2 loaf of sliced bread and make a full-on sandwhich. Wrap in aluminum foil and head for the closest beach.
Ingredients (12)
Ingredients (12)
Instructions
Lay the tomatoes (2) on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Combine the onion (¼ medium), tuna (2 5-oz cans), capers, (2 Tbsp) and olives (¼ cup) in a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano (2 Tbsp), then drizzle over the olive oil (3 Tbsp) and vinegar (2 Tbsp).
Lay the toasted bread (4–5 slices) on a platter. Top evenly with the tomatoes and their juices, then the tuna mixture. Grate the ricotta salata (3 oz) over the platter.
Serve with a fork and knife like an open-faced sandwich.
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