Panzanella

By mutzali

Ingredients

• one loaf Italian crusty bread, preferably two days old
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 peeled and diced garlic cloves
• 5 red ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced or diced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups basil, leaves sliced into 1/4″ slices
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the Italian bread loaf into small cubes of about a half an inch. Bake the cubed bread in the oven for 6-7 minutes until golden brown.

In a large skillet heat two tablespoons of olive oil and butter over medium to low heat. After butter melts, add minced garlic and sauté for about a minute. Do not allow the garlic to burn. Add the browned bread cubes to the skillet and mix with the garlic.

Using a large bowl, place bread, tomato, onion and basil. Salt and pepper to taste and allow to stand for a few minutes for the flavors to permeate throughout. Serve in individual pasta dishes.