We know from a poem that dates back to the 1500′s that Panzanella goes back many centuries.  Now, tomatoes had not been introduced way back then, but when they came along, they were quickly utilized in Panzanella and today you will not find it without tomatoes.

To make Panzanella, you need good crusty, very stale rustic bread and it should be salt-free.  The bread should be anywhere from a day to a week old.  Do not use any bread that has preservatives in it.  The bread should be sliced thickly and allowed to dry completely.  This is a wonderful fresh Italian summer salad that takes very little effort to put together.

The main components of the salad are olive oil, red wine vinegar, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, basil … and of course, the bread!  Although i prefer it without, many recipes are starting to inlcude pieces of mozzarella cheese in the salad.  It is thought that this may have started in honor of the Italian Flag – red, white and green.  With or without the cheese, it is just a refeshing gourmet Italian delight!

I happen to love red wine vinegar, so this is one of my favorite Panzanella recipes.  It comes from La Vecchia Bettola – a charming trattoria on the outskirts of Florence.

Fresh Italian Stale Bread Salad: Panzanella

Put 4 cups of water and 1 cup of red wine vinegar in a bowl.  Add six slices of 2 or 3 day old coarse rustic bread, preferably unsalted, and let it soak for 15 minutes.

Now drain well and squeeze all the the excess liquid from the bread and crumble into small bite size pieces in a large salad bowl.

Add a head of romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped and a red or sweet onion that has been halved and thinly sliced.  Next add a cucumber that has been peeled, cored, seeded and thickly sliced.  Now take 3 of the best tomatoes you can find – I like the Ugly tomatoes for significant flavor!  Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl.  Throw in a few handfuls of fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Toss this very well.  In the Tuscany region, this step is done using your hands.  Judge the consistency for yourself and add a little more oil if you like.  Wonderful served with a Chianti or other brisk, young red wine!

See how gorgeous this is and how to make it right here!

Mangia Bene!