Panzanella (Italian Bread And Tomato Salad)
Ingredients
About 1/2 loaf of french bread3 or 4 strips of bacon
24-36 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half.
About 6 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn into small pieces
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the french bread into 1/2 inch cubes.
Place the bread cubes on a sheet pan, and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
Bake the bread cubes in the oven, until lightly toasted, but still soft, about 10-15 minutes.
In a medium skillet, fry the bacon until it is crisp. Remove from the pan, and reserve 1 Tbsp of the bacon grease.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread, the tomatoes, the basil, and the parmesan cheese. Crumble the bacon into the bowl, and stir to combine.
In a small bowl, combine the reserved Tbsp of bacon grease, 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, and the Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Whisk the ingredients together, then pour over the salad, and stir everything together.
Cover the bowl, and place the salad in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Remove, and serve.
Serves 4
Recipe submitted by Tim Sousa
