Baked Panzanella Salad

We don’t waste anything at our house.  I have been busy baking again and tonight I am using my stale bread and some tomatoes to whip up a wonderful side dish. My Baked Panzanella Salad is full of flavour and I add a little Sicilian flare to bump it up in texture. It will make a nice side for you Christmas brunch or meal.

Now most Italians believe that this salad has its origins in Tuscany, but like everything else, I am sure it stems from The Cucina Povera.  Stale bread becomes the base and of course tomatoes are a must. Artichokes and black olives set my salad apart.  Everything goes into a baking dish and sits for a while to soak up the olive oil and juices.  A little peperoncino gives it extra zing.

In most regions of Italy you will find panzanella salad in the summertime. This warm version is nice in the fall and winter.  It is good because the cooking of the tomatoes releases that extra flavour that is sometimes hard to get at this time of year.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

My other favourite way to use cooked tomatoes https://recipesatmytable.com/roasted-breaded-tomatoes/

For the history of Panzanella Salad read https://www.charmingitaly.com/article/tuscan-panzanella-bread-salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 a stale French or Italian loaf ( cut up in cubes)
• 2 large tomatoes ( diced)
• 1 cup of diced marinated artichokes
• 3/4 cup black Kalamata olives
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning with peperoncino
• 1/2 cup of tomato juice
• 1/4 cup of good olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 small onion ( whole thin slices)
• 2 tbs grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar as dressing once it comes out of oven

Process

I take my stale bread and roughly chop it.

My tomatoes get diced. 

Roughly chop your artichokes. 

These olives will add flavour and a little salt to the salad. 

I sprinkle my Italian seasoning over everything and then add the olive oil, tomato juice and toss. 

Spread it out in a 9 X 9 dish and press down.  Let it sit for a few hours. I slice the onions and put them on just before it goes into the oven.  Then put it into a 350 F oven for 20 minutes.  

While warm out of the oven, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and drizzle with the mixed olive oil and vinegar. YUM!!