Panzanella is a typical Tuscan dish, simple and refreshing, ideal for summer. It is prepared with stale bread soaked in water and crumbled, mixed with tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, basil, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt. It originated as a peasant dish to recover old bread.
The trick to a perfect result? Wet the bread with water and EVO oil, not just water: that way it stays soft and tasty for longer. A zero-waste dish that celebrates summer and authenticity.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
- 300g stale bread (2-3 days old)
- 500g ripe tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 small red onion
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 5 tbsp evo oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- coarse sea salt
- black pepper
Method
Cut the bread into 2 cm cubes and place it in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of EVO oil. Let it stand for 15 minutes until it softens.
1.Cut the vegetables: tomatoes into wedges, cucumber into rounds, onion into thin slices. Put everything in a large bowl.
2.Add the softened bread, hand-chopped basil, salt, pepper, vinegar and the remaining 4 tablespoons of EVO oil. Stir gently.
3.Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to allow the flavours to meld.
4. Divide among the plates and add a final generous drizzle of EVO oil.
💡 Modern variant: For a richer version, add chopped fresh burrata cheese just before serving!