Honestly it’s a game changer…
Also known as “poor man’s Parmesan”, pangrattato is a penny-pinching classic from southern Italy makes a great pasta “sauce” in its own right but can be used in or on pretty much anything. It takes a few minutes to make, and costs next to nothing.
Ingredients
- Stale Bread
- Garlic
- Herbs – rosemary, thyme, oregano or sage are great
- Olive Oil
Method
- Blitz stale bread in a food processor, the drier the better and tip it out.
- Blitz a handful of garlic cloves… if you like garlic then throw more in!
- Grab any herbs you like. Woody ones are best, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano or sage. Blitz again.
- Add the breadcrumbs back in. Whizz a few times.
- Heat a frying pan or if you have made lots then spread it onto a baking tray. Dress with plenty of olive oil and then toast until crispy and golden.
- Leave it to cool and then put into a container. It lasts ages!
Use pangrattato to add taste and texture to dishes. Eat it with pasta as a Parmesan substitute, perhaps adding a grating of lemon zest and some chilli flakes. Use it as an additional topping for any other pasta dish, to add texture to salads, as a topping for any stews and sauces, or as a breadcrumb mix for coating meat or veg such as roast cauliflower. It’s quick, easy, and delicious. You’ll wonder how you ever existed without it.