Summer in Tuscany. With closed eyes, the thought alone evokes the warmth of an unrelenting sun, the savory scent of wild herbs, and the unforgettable taste of the season’s ripest produce. While I’ve enjoyed my share of rich pappardelle al cinghiale and mammoth bistecche alla Fiorentina, it’s my craving for Tuscany’s lighter fare that can only be quelled by frequent visits to the region and home cooking renditions of my favorite dishes, including panzanella.
My first taste of panzanella was in fact in Italy, a juxtaposition of my American and Italian identities via the star ingredient, bread. In America, bread is traditionally placed on the table and served before the meal with the intent of keeping hungry diners satiated while they wait for their antipasti, primi or secondi. That bread, if of good quality, is either demolished upon arrival or underappreciated, a mere vehicle for the butter, olive oil, or creative condimento it’s being served with. In Italy, bread is a serious staple in the food chain and is respected as such. So there I sat at a long wooden table in the middle of the Tuscan countryside, when a bowl of salad with bread INSIDE of it was set down in front of me. I stared at it like an advanced calculus equation. “They want me to eat a salad full of soggy bread. I can’t imagine this will go well,” I thought.
That panzanella challenged all of my bread beliefs and simultaneously, changed them for the better. It revealed an unexpected and dare I say, luscious identity, which I was all in for it. A beautiful mélange of crisp cucumbers, verdant basil, appropriately astringent onions, and crudely cut tomatoes (so sweet I could cry) mingled with chunks of creamy, vinegar-soaked bread. What seemed like a meal in itself was so impossibly light and refreshing, I struggled to maintain restraint from polishing off the entire family-sized bowl. From that meal onward, panzanella has become a salad that I anticipate enjoying during the warmer months, preferably in Tuscany, but just as happily in America. Here’s my go-to recipe that you can follow to enjoy this delicious, economical and healthy salad with a kiss of much appreciated, bready decadence!
Panzanella pro-tip: A stale loaf of ciabatta, baguette or crusty artisanal loaf work well here. If you have fresh bread on hand, drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and toast for similar results.
Tuscan Panzanella by Stephanie Rizzolo
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 stale ciabatta loaf, baguette, or any artisanal crusty bread
3 large heirloom tomatoes
2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes
1 large cucumber
1/4 red onion
20 leaves of basil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Tear stale bread into bite-sized pieces. If using fresh bread, slice, and drizzle with olive oil. Toast until golden brown and set aside to cool.
Cut heirloom tomatoes into wedges and halve cherry tomatoes.
Stripe and slice the cucumber in half. Remove seeds and slice into half-moon shapes.
Thinly slice the red onion.
Toss the vegetables and bread together in a large bowl. Pour in extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until everything is well combined.
Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the bread soften and soak up the tomato juices and dressing.
Watch Stephanie Rizzolo making panzanella on our Instagram account @lacucinaitalianausa - Highlights section #HomeCookingLCI