Refreshing Panzanella – A Taste of Italian Summer - Tuesday, Week 27

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

For our next culinary stop in Tuscany, we bring you the refreshing and rustic Panzanella. This beautiful salad is a testament to the ingenuity of Italian cooks, turning stale bread and ripe tomatoes into a dish that tastes like the height of summer. Paired with a dry and crisp Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the sun-drenched flavors of this dish truly shine.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb (225 g) stale bread, torn into chunks
• 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Steps

1. Place the tomatoes, red onion, and bread chunks in a large bowl. Add the torn basil leaves.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper until well combined. Pour this dressing over the bread and tomato mixture.
3. Toss everything together until all the ingredients are coated in the dressing. Let the salad sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and the bread to soak up the dressing and tomato juices.
4. Before serving, give the salad one more good toss. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Savor this bright and beautiful Panzanella and let it transport you to the rolling hills of Tuscany. Buon appetito!