Patate Arraganate

Arraganato means 'with oregano,' and in Puglia this word describes a way of cooking that requires nothing more than good olive oil, dried oregano, and patience. The potatoes must be sliced thin enough to cook through but thick enough to hold their shape. The tomatoes must be ripe. The onions must be sweet. Everything else is excess.

This is contadino cooking, the food of Pugliese farmers who had olive oil in abundance, oregano growing wild on the hillsides, and whatever vegetables the garden offered. They did not follow recipes. They understood proportions. A layer of potatoes, a scattering of tomatoes and onions, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of oregano. Repeat until the dish is full. Bake until done.

What you keep out matters here. No cheese gratinéed on top, no cream, no butter, no complication. The potatoes absorb the tomato juices and the olive oil. The onions soften and sweeten. The oregano perfumes everything. This is how vegetables are meant to taste when you leave them alone and let heat do its work.