The Panuozzo of Gragnano, what else?

Unique and inimitable, it seems to have been born in Gragnano just after the Second World War, so much so that in this area you can find it in almost any restaurant or pizzeria, although the real boom came at the end of the 1980s, when it became one of Campania’s traditional foods.

by Alessia Giannino

The panuozzo is a fragrant sandwich roll that makes your mouth water just by looking at it.

It’s a giant sandwich made with pizza dough and filled in various ways: the classics are mozzarella and ham, or sausage and friarielli (a bitter Neapolitan broccoli rabe), but really it can be made however you like.

This special sandwich, about 30 cm long, has a lot in common with pizza, since it’s quick to prepare and great to eat as street food; over time it has spread beyond its local origins to the whole region, although anyone wanting to try the original still has to travel to where it all began.

The variation with pane cafone

As we mentioned, the panuozzo is made with pizza dough, but there’s a less common variation that uses pane cafone (a rustic Neapolitan country bread) instead. The filling can include mozzarella, vegetables, sausages, tomatoes, cold cuts and various side dishes. One of its distinctive features is that it needs a second turn in the oven before serving, so the filling ingredients are properly warmed through. The filling can also be customised to the customer’s taste.

Where to eat it

Here are the best restaurants where you can taste the real panuozzo.

• Mascolo (Via Marianna Spagnuolo 121, Gragnano): the most famous, running for around 15 years now. Always new flavours, guaranteeing a unique treat.
• Pizzeria da Iolanda (Via Visitazione 15, Gragnano): this pizzeria has also been going strong for many years, since 1989 to be precise. There are always long queues to enjoy an excellent panuozzo.
• Malafronte (Via Stagli 22, Gragnano): opened more than twenty years ago by grandfather Michele, the tradition still continues today through his children and grandchildren, who make a good, light dough.
• Pizzeria ‘O presidente (Piazza San Leone 22/24, Gragnano): a renowned pizzeria that also makes excellent panuozzi, with a thin dough and a generous filling.