Panzanella with Roasted Tomatoes and Olives

Ingredientes

6 ounces country-style bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 ounce pecorino Romano OR Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), plus more to serve

1 pint cherry OR grape tomatoes

½ cup pitted black OR green olives OR a combination

½ small red OR yellow onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup red wine vinegar OR white wine vinegar OR balsamic vinegar OR lemon juice

4 cups lightly packed baby arugula OR chopped romaine OR spring mix

1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley OR basil OR mint, torn

Instruções

Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. In a large bowl, toss together the bread, 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Distribute in an even layer on a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet; reserve the bowl. Bake until the bread is golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven; sprinkle the bread with the cheese and toss to combine. Continue to bake until the cheese starts to melt, about another 1 minute. Transfer the bread to a large plate; reserve the baking sheet. Turn the oven to broil.

On the same baking sheet, toss together the tomatoes, olives and 1 tablespoon oil. Distribute in an even layer and broil until the tomatoes have burst and are charred in spots, 7 to 8 minutes, shaking the baking sheet halfway through. Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in the reserved bowl, stir together the onion, vinegar, the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Add the warm tomato-olive mixture and the bread to the bowl, then toss. Let stand for about 5 minutes, tossing a few times. Add the arugula and parsley, then toss gently. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Notas

In this spin on the classic Italian bread and tomato salad known as panzanella, we quickly broil supermarket cherry or grape tomatoes to concentrate their flavor and render them soft and succulent. But first, chunks of bread are toasted so they’ll absorb the olive oil, vinegar and tomato juices without becoming soggy. During the last minute of toasting, we toss the bread with grated cheese, which forms an appealing crust. Olives lend salty, briny goodness, while arugula and fresh parsley brighten the salad.