Rustic, bold, and built for ripe summer tomatoes. Torn bread soaks up a vinaigrette of Spicy Calabrian Pesto Olive Oil and Oregano White Balsamic, while fresh mozzarella and basil keep things bright. This is the kind of salad that gets better as it sits.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups crusty French bread, torn into 1" pieces
- 3 cups ripe tomatoes, cut into 1" dice
- 8 oz. mozzarella fresca, cut or torn into 1" pieces (optional)
- 1/3 cup Olive Amelia Spicy Calabrian Pesto Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Olive Amelia Garlic Chive White Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a bowl large enough to hold the tomatoes and cheese comfortably, add the Olive Amelia Garlic Chive White Balsamic Vinegar and salt. Whisk until the salt dissolves completely into the vinegar.
- Add the Olive Amelia Spicy Calabrian Pesto Olive Oil to the vinegar mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking as you pour. Adjust with a pinch more salt if needed.
- Add the diced tomatoes to the bowl and, if using, the mozzarella. Use a large spoon or your hands to turn everything gently until each piece is coated with the vinaigrette.
- Leave the bowl on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes. This resting time is what makes panzanella work.
- When the tomatoes have finished marinating, add the torn bread directly to the bowl. Pour in all the accumulated liquid from the bottom of the bowl. Add the torn basil leaves.
- Toss everything together gently. You want the bread just moistened, not soggy. A few good turns with a large spoon or clean hands should do it. Taste and adjust with additional salt and freshly ground pepper. If the bread seems dry, let it sit for another two or three minutes and toss again before adding anything else.
- Serve at room temperature on a wide, shallow platter so the bread doesn't steam at the bottom. Panzanella is best within an hour of assembling, while the bread still holds some texture.