Pangrattato
Crisp, garlicky breadcrumbs for pasta, vegetables and soups
- Makes
- about 120 g (1½ cups)
- Hands-on
- Total
- Level
- Easy
Sometimes called the poor man's Parmesan, pangrattato is stale bread fried in olive oil with garlic, lemon zest and herbs until golden and crunchy. A spoonful adds crunch and flavor to pasta, salads and roast vegetables.
Ingredients
- 100 gstale sourdough or country bread (3½ oz)crusts removed
- 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clovegarlicfinely grated
- 1 pinchdried chili flakesoptional
- 1lemonfinely grated zest only
- 1 tbspparsleyfinely chopped
- 2 gfine sea salt (⅓ tsp)
- Diet
- Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free
- Allergens
- gluten
- Origin
- Italy (southern)
Method
- Tear the bread into chunks and pulse in a food processor to coarse crumbs about the size of lentils, or grate on the coarse side of a box grater.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the crumbs and toss to coat them evenly in the oil.
- Fry, stirring and tossing often, until the crumbs are evenly golden and crisp, 5–7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and chili and stir for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
- Tip into a bowl and stir in the lemon zest, parsley and salt. Let cool; the crumbs crisp further as they cool.
Why it works
Stale bread has already lost moisture, so it fries crisp quickly instead of soaking up oil and turning greasy. Coating every crumb in oil before it heats ensures even browning. The garlic goes in at the end because the small pieces burn far faster than the bread.
Common mistakes
- Walking away: crumbs go from golden to burnt in under a minute. Stir constantly near the end.
- Adding garlic at the start: it burns and turns bitter.
Variations
- Anchovy pangrattato
- Melt 3 chopped anchovy fillets in the oil before adding the crumbs.
- Nutty pangrattato
- Add 30 g chopped almonds or walnuts with the crumbs.
Make ahead and storage
Keeps 1 week in an airtight jar at room temperature; re-crisp in a dry pan if it softens.
Notes
Use gluten-free bread for a gluten-free version. Scatter over Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino, Charred Broccoli with Garlic, Chili and Lemon or Tomato Soup.
