Summer Panzanella

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Panzanella is one of those summer recipes that truly tastes like summer. It's one that you want to make in peak season—when the tomatoes are extra juicy, the squash slightly sweet, and the basil extra cheap. To give this classic dish more flavor, we grill the bread, zucchini, and onion until charred, then toss those with the remaining ingredients. You can skip that step altogether if you don't feel like turning on the grill (just use extra-stale bread or toast in the oven instead).
INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 2 3/4"-thick slices country bread
  • 1 medium zucchini or summer squash, halved
  • 1/2 large red onion, cut into 4 wedges
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 4 c. diced mixed tomatoes (such as heirloom, vine-ripened, cherry, and grape)
  • 1 c. cubed fresh mozzarella
  • 1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
  • Balsamic glaze, for drizzling
PREPARATION:
  • Heat grill to medium-high and oil the grates. Brush bread, zucchini, and onion all over with oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Grill bread and veggies until bread is lightly charred and toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, and zucchini and onion are lightly charred and crisp-tender, 3 minutes per side.
  • Transfer grilled bread, zucchini, and onion to a work surface. Rub garlic on both cut sides of the bread, then let everything cool slightly.
  • Cut bread into bite-size cubes, thinly slice zucchini crosswise, and chop onion.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together oil and the vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Add bread cubes, zucchini, onion, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Toss to combine and drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 25 minutes

Share