Pangrattato

If you are wondering what is Pangrattato? Pangrattato is a crispy flavoured breadcrumb made with fresh herbs, butter and garlic. It is a quick and budget-friendly way to add something extra to your pasta and make it oh-so-much more delicious.

With its crunchy texture complemented by a herby flavour with a dash of Garlic, this “poor man’s Parmesan” adds a delightful extra bit of flavour and texture to any dish that you use it as a topping in.

This recipe is more of a topping than a full-blown dish, and it will make your life a lot easier (at least when it comes to the kitchen). So, keeping things easy in terms of reading, too, let’s jump right into the nitty-gritty of the recipe.

Why Does This Recipe Work?

• You can finally use up the stale bread that has been menacingly staring back at you every day in your kitchen.
• Owing to the long shelf life, you can prepare a whole batch and keep it ready to go for one of those surprise visits or last-minute meals.
• The topping is versatile in the sense that it goes well with a lot of recipes with widely varying flavour profiles.

What Is In This Pangrattato Recipe?

Sourdough Bread. Sourdough Bread is the base ingredient for this recipe. For the best results, use stale Sourdough Bread, which is at least a day old. Fresh bread will not give the dish its signature crispiness.

Fresh Rosemary Leaves. The herbs you choose to add to the dish will affect its flavour profile significantly. Here, we have chosen to go with Fresh Rosemary Leaves as the herb of our choice.

Olive Oil. It will be used to fry the breadcrumbs into Pangrattato. Olive Oil being flavourless merely fries the recipe and keeps any oily flavour out of it.

Butter. It makes up for what is otherwise a dry recipe, along with adding a subtle hint of flavour to it. Since we have left out salt in this recipe, feel free to use salted butter to enhance the flavours.

Garlic. A dash of Garlic is ideal for adding a hint of spice to the dish. It is best to use finely chopped Garlic to avoid messing up the texture of the recipe.

How To Make Pangrattato?

Put the bread into the food processor and beat the mixture until it crumbs. Chop rosemary leaves and add to the bread crumbs.

In a frying pan, heat oil and butter until sizzling. Then add the crumb mixture to the pan, mix well and fry over medium heat until golden brown.

Now, add crushed Garlic and mix until combined. Keep cooking for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Sprinkle over rice or pasta to serve.

Top Tips!

• For crispier Pangrattato, let it stand for a few minutes. The more it stands, the crispier it gets.
• It is a good idea to gently warm the Garlic and rosemary in the oil (and any other spices that you may like to use) over low heat before you mix them in if you prefer stronger flavours and aroma. This will bring out the flavours of these ingredients.
• Pulse the food processor for a few seconds at a time when churning the bread. Not leaving it to run will give you the best possible texture.

Some Variations

• Any other kind of bread that you like can be used instead of the Sourdough Bread for the recipe. White bread, gluten-free bread, garlic bread, everything tastes great.
• Nuts like pecan, walnuts, almonds, etc., are great additions to the Pangrattato if you are a fan of the earthy flavours and extra crunch that nuts bring to the table.
• For all the cheese lovers out there, shredded parmesan cheese or other hard cheeses can prove to be amazing additions. These lend a nice umami flavour to the dish.
• There is absolutely no need to restrict yourself to Rosemary Leaves. You can go completely crazy with the herbs and sprinkle in all the thyme or parsley (or anything that your tastebuds approve of) that you want.
• For an appealing spicey twist, red pepper flakes are the common go-to option.
• Lemon zest adds a citrusy tang to the dish, which is always a delight.
• Using flavoured and nutty oils instead of olive oil can lead to a subtle variation in the taste.

Serving Suggestions

• Let the Pangrattato cool down to room temperature before serving.
• Top your baked pasta dishes like macaroni and cheese or lasagna with this delicious dish to take them to another level.
• Roasted vegetables like broccoli, beans, etc., taste fabulous when sprinkled with this crispy flavoured breadcrumb. This is a great way to disguise healthy foods to get your kids to gobble them up.
• This dish is also a great way to give your salads a crunchy texture along with a nuanced flavour.
• Coat chicken breasts or other kinds of meat with these breadcrumbs and fry them for quick and delicious meals.
• The topping also goes well with egg dishes.
• A more unconventional practice is sprinkling the Pangrattato over ice creams and sundaes. Believe it or not, it tastes absolutely heavenly!
• Mousses and porridges too taste great with this topping.
• Mashed potatoes and this crispy flavoured breadcrumb is a combination that is overall quick to make and filling to the tummy.

Storage

Make-Ahead of Time: Because of its long shelf life and easy storage, this recipe is ideal for making ahead of time.

To Store: Pangrattato can be stored for up to six months if stored in a cool and dry place in an airtight container. Make sure that it is stored at room temperature.

To Freeze: Keep the dish in a freezer-safe bag and freeze it. This will keep it from spoiling for up to a year.

Reheating: There is no need to reheat the dish as it is best consumed at room temperature, as mentioned earlier. Just thaw it after taking it out from the freezer, and you are ready to go.

FAQs

Recipes you may like

• Crispy Baked Cornflake Chicken Nuggets
• Baked Parmesan Crusted Cod
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast

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