What is the best kind of bread to use for Panzanella?

Choose a thick crust chewy farm style bread that you slice yourself. Americanized grocery store "Italian" bread packaged in plastic will be too squishy and melt into the salad. Look for breads labeled "Farm Style" or "rustic" and it should be packaged in paper. It should have a nice crusty exterior. It is also best if it is not completely fresh. We call for day old bread in this recipe.

What is the best skillet to use?

For this recipe use a heavy cast iron skillet. The thickness of the pan will help it from having sharp temperature changes and prevent the bread and garlic from scorching. It also will hold its heat so you can continue to cook the cherry tomatoes to the perfect texture off the heat.

Cherry Tomato Panzanella

Name: Cherry Tomato Panzanella
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 4 cups cubed crusty farm bread; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced; 4 cups cherry tomatoes, large ones cut in half; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil; 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar; Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Description

This easy 20 minute recipe for Cherry Tomato Panzanella Salad is cooked in a skillet to burst the cherry tomatoes. We’ve added in garlic, herbs and balsamic vinegar to season it.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups cubed crusty farm bread
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4 cups cherry tomatoes, large ones cut in half
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

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Instructions

Heat oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add bread and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and crusty in places, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes start to blister, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in basil or oregano, vinegar and pepper. Continue stirring as it cools in the hot skillet, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

Skillet

It is best to use a heavy cast iron skillet to make this recipe. That will help to prevent scorching, and allow you to continue to gently cook the tomatoes in step four. If you do not have a heavy skillet, make sure to monitor the heat and adjust it down if the skillet starts to smoke. You may need to cook it over low heat before adding in the herbs to let the tomatoes let off their juices.

Bread

Look for good crusty bread sold in a paper bag that you have to cut yourself. For best results use day old bread. If your bread is fresh, cut it into cubes, lay it out on a baking sheet and allow it to sit out for two hours before proceeding with the recipe.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 ½ cups each
Calories: 279
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 307 mg
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g