Roman Panzanella: The summer dish that never tires, perfect for recycling leftover bread and turning it into a fresh, quick, and flavorful recipe. It is one of those humble traditional dishes that always surprises with its deliciousness: stale bread softens with vinegar and becomes flavorful thanks to fresh onion, while the tomato – preferably San Marzano or any well-ripened kind – releases all its juice and gives the dish an intense and irresistible flavor. It’s prepared in just a few minutes, without cooking, and is always appreciated by everyone, especially on hotter days.
Before moving on to the recipe, let me remind you of other tasty ideas
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 169.45 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 33.10 (g) of which sugars 2.46 (g)
- Proteins 4.62 (g)
- Fat 2.73 (g) of which saturated 0.36 (g)of which unsaturated 0.05 (g)
- Fibers 2.66 (g)
- Sodium 547.44 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 85 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 6 slices stale bread
- 3 tomatoes (medium/large ripe)
- 1/2 onion
- salt
- pepper
- Some leaves basil
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
- to taste vinegar
- to taste water (to wet the bread)
Tools
- 1 Knife
Preparation
Slice the bread: cut the stale bread into slices that are not too thick, but not too thin either. Quickly run each slice under running water, just enough to wet it, then gently squeeze it with your hands to remove excess water.
Prepare the tomatoes: after washing the tomatoes well, cut them in half and rub them directly onto the bread slices to release all their juice. The remaining pulp can be broken up over the bread, by hand or with a knife, as you prefer.
Dress the panzanella: now we just need to season it. Pour a little vinegar on each slice of bread, then add salt, pepper, thinly sliced onion, and a few fresh basil leaves. Finish with a nice drizzle of olive oil. In just a few minutes, and without any need for cooking, our Roman panzanella is ready to enjoy.
NOTES
For a good panzanella, the bread is crucial. Use rustic stale bread, preferably a couple of days old. It shouldn’t be too fresh, otherwise, it will become mushy. Just soak it in cold water and then squeeze it well: this way it will absorb the dressing better.
The tomatoes must be ripe and juicy, preferably salad tomatoes. The secret to a well-made panzanella is the balance between extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use a different type of bread other than rustic bread?
Yes, the important thing is that it is stale and compact bread, which doesn’t fall apart too much with water.
Can panzanella be prepared in advance?
Yes, you can prepare it a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge. It’s best to take it out 10 minutes before serving.
