Panzanella, a light and tasty dish typically for summer.

Panzanella, also known as pansanelle, pan molle, or pane ‘nzuppo depending on the region, is a fresh and typically summer dish, characteristic of Tuscany, Marche, Umbria, and Lazio, thus of central Italy.

There are variations of the recipe from region to region, but typically the ingredients (at least in the original recipe) are stale bread, red onion, basil, all seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, and salt.

Panzanella: quick to prepare, simple and nutritious

Panzanella, a typical Mediterranean dish, with some recipe variations. Tasty and fresh, it is quick to prepare and is healthy and nutritious, offering great satisfaction. It is excellent when freshly made, but if you prepare it and wait half an hour, letting it rest in the fridge, it will be exceptional! At that point, the bread will have absorbed the flavors of the ingredients, and it will be extremely appetizing and inviting. Try it the next day as well, it's delicious!

The original recipe comes with many variations, including additions or substitutions of various kinds: carrots, fennel, corn, celery, raw peppers with herbs like basil, oregano, or chives.

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Of course, you can also add fresh cheeses like mozzarella, sausages, or pickles as your imagination suggests. The variations are endless!

Tuscan Panzanella: the recipe

The Tuscan panzanella is a typical variant, a recipe passed down for generations, when farming families used to prepare it to recycle stale bread. Summer is the best time to make it, thanks to the abundance of fresh vegetables typical of this season.

To prepare Tuscan panzanella, you will need Tuscan country bread, cluster tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, basil, white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt.

To prepare it, slice the bread and if it is not stale, let it dry. Place it in a bowl with water and vinegar to moisten it, then squeeze it out and crumble it with your hands. Peel the onions and slice them, as well as the cucumbers and tomatoes into thin slices. Mix everything together and season with basil, oil, and salt. Place it in the fridge and let it rest for at least half an hour. Serve and enjoy!

Panzanella recipe: the original

The original Panzanella recipe does not differ much from the Tuscan one, except for the absence of cucumbers. The ingredients will be stale Tuscan bread, ripe tomatoes, red onion, basil, oil, white wine vinegar, and salt.

Soak the bread well in water and vinegar, then squeeze it and break it into small pieces. Add the tomatoes and onion slices, season with oil, basil, and salt, and let it rest in the fridge for at least half an hour to enhance the flavor of the dish. Serve and savor summer at the table!

Roman Panzanella: the recipe

In Lazio, the classic recipe is used, but instead of red onion, spring onion is used: Roman Panzanella is made with country bread, ripe tomatoes, oil, white vinegar, spring onion, basil, salt, and pepper.

Soften the slices of bread in water and prepare the tomatoes and spring onion into slices. Season the vegetables with oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Prepare the bread in pieces in a bowl and season it with the ingredients. Enjoy!

Sea Panzanella: the recipe

Sea Panzanella is a typical variant from Tuscany and Lazio, fresh and tasty, fantastic with seafood ingredients. To prepare Sea Panzanella, you need stale bread, octopus, shrimp, clams, tomatoes, celery, Tropea onion, red wine vinegar, garlic, chili, parsley, basil, pepper, salt, and oil.

First of all, you need to boil the octopus and season it with salt, vinegar, pepper, and onion. Once ready, cut it into pieces, removing the skin. Dip the shrimp in boiling water and cook them. Drain them and remove the black vein on their back. In a pan, add oil, parsley, garlic, and chili. Add the clams and cook over high heat until they are completely opened. Add the parsley once they are ready.

Prepare the bread as usual, and add the clams, octopus, and shrimp. Add the tomatoes, celery, and onion. Season with salt and oil, torn basil, and mix well. Let it enhance the flavors in the fridge for a few hours, and serve at room temperature.

Umbrian Panzanella: the recipe

Umbrian Panzanella also includes the addition of salad and arugula. You will need stale bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, arugula, lettuce, red wine vinegar, oil, and salt.

Prepare the ingredients as usual and mix everything together. Since there is fresh salad, it is advisable to consume it immediately, or it may wilt. Enjoy!

Original Panzanella recipe: mistakes to avoid

The original Panzanella recipe is simple, but there are some mistakes to avoid for perfect success.

For example, the best type of bread to use is definitely Tuscan bread. It is true, there are countless types of bread, but Tuscan bread is different for its crumb texture, which, when soaked, remains grainy and does not become mushy. Another mistake is using fresh bread. The drier the bread, the better it will react when in contact with water, without losing its flavor. Always talking about soaking the bread, be careful not to let it stay too long in the bowl: just enough to soften it, not more.

Lastly, the ultimate piece of advice: there are many recipe variants, but the fewer ingredients you use, the more delicious your Panzanella will be. No wonder the original recipe is simple, has few ingredients but is as tasty as a gourmet dish.

Panzanella: discover all the flavors of summer with this typically exquisite recipe, and above all, enjoy!

S&M