Recipes with Melissa Blease: Panzanella
Ripe tomato and stale bread salad? No thank you! But Panzanella – one of Tuscany’s most famous recipe exports – is way, way more than the sum of its parts.
Refreshing, understatedly elegant and tantalisingly tasty, Panzanella is the perfect party buffet salad or barbecue side dish. But to enjoy it authentically Tuscan-style, serve it as a light summer lunch accompanied by a decent bottle of Rosé Toscana. Saluti to stale bread!
Ingredients (serves 4)
200g ciabatta, at least one day old
600g ripe, room temperature tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 generous tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, peeled and very finely sliced
280g jarred red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
8 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely sliced (optional)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch of fresh basil
Method
Tear the ciabatta into bite-sized chunks, tumble onto a tray and leave in a warm place to dry out for around 30 minutes-1 hour.
Tip the tomatoes into a large bowl and season well. Add the capers, onion, peppers, anchovies (if using) and bread and toss together. Whisk the red wine vinegar with the extra-virgin oil and add to the salad, tossing as you go. Check for seasoning then tear the fresh basil into the bowl. Serve at room temperature.
