How to Make Panzanella: Quick and Tasty Panzanella Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Aug 16, 2023 • 2 min read
Equally at home as a supporting side dish, but substantial enough to count as a hot-weather main, panzanella is an iconic Italian bread salad that has been the best way to gussy up stale loaves since the sixteenth century.
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What Is Panzanella?
Panzanella is a chopped bread salad that is typically made with stale bread, vinegar, tomatoes, olive oil, and onions. Panzanella is originally from Tuscany, Italy, where traditional iterations of the salad only featured onions, oil, and vinegar alongside chunks of bread. Modern versions of the dish now often include ripe tomatoes and herbs as well.
Panzanella salad is a flexible dish that can incorporate a range of veggies, such as fava beans, asparagus, artichokes, mixed greens, cucumber, or bell pepper. If tomatoes are out of season, whip up a garlicky lemon vinaigrette instead of one made from fresh tomato juice. The addition of capers can heighten the brininess of the dish. To add more protein, incorporate marinated chickpeas or white beans.
What to Serve With Panzanella
As a quintessential summer salad, panzanella works well with other popular foods of the season. Serve it alongside sweet slices of melon wrapped in prosciutto, raw ribbons of summer squash dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs, barbecued chicken, steak, or a whole grilled fish.
Tasty Panzanella Recipe
makes
prep time
20 mintotal time
35 mincook time
15 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- 2
Dice the tomatoes, and place in a colander over a bowl. Season with salt and toss gently to combine. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- 3
Next, make the croutons. Slice (or tear, for a more rustic presentation) bread into 1-inch cubes and place into a large bowl. Drizzle bread cubes with 3 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet, and bake until crispy and golden brown but still tender, about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven, and let cool.
- 4
To make the vinaigrette, set the seasoned tomatoes aside and add the onion, garlic, vinegar, mustard, and ¼ cup olive oil to the bowl of tomato juices. Whisk well to emulsify and season to taste.
- 5
Return tomatoes to the bowl, and add the toasted bread and mozzarella. Toss to coat, and let sit until bread has soaked up most of the vinaigrette. Just before serving, add the basil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
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