Start by soaking the dried zucchini with very hot water (not from the tap-heat it up).

Set aside for about half an hour or until the zucchini has softened.

Meanwhile, slice the pancetta, and cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces and set aside.

(If the potatoes will be cut more than a few minutes ahead of when you’ll be using them, keep them in a bowl covered in water, so they don’t turn brown; this applies to every recipe).

Rinse the zucchini and drain well; set aside.

In a medium sized pot over medium to medium-high heat, add the olive oil and fry off the garlic, bay leaves, pancetta and hot pepper, if using.

Brown the garlic and pancetta, just a little, then add the zucchini.

Next, add the tomatoes or puree and then the water (if you would like to make this without tomatoes, just add water at this point).

It will look like this. Add salt, and bring it to a boil; then lower to a simmer.Add the potatoes, a little more salt, and stir well. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are cooked, stirring occasionally. If it is drying up too much and the potatoes aren’t cooked, add more water as needed.

Remove from heat, taste to see if it needs more salt, and add black pepper. Serve hot.