Pangrattato (Italian Toasted Breadcrumbs)

Recipe Ingredients

Bread: Use a wide loaf of bakery bread, like Italian bread or sourdough, so there's more of the soft interior bread versus harder crust. Choose bread without seeds on the crust as the seeds may burn during the cook time. And let it get 2-3 days stale! The drier texture of stale bread helps produce the crispest, lightest crumbs.

Olive oil: This has an unmatched flavor that shines in pangrattato, so I recommend not substituting it here.

Garlic: For the brightest flavor use cloves that are freshly purchased, not the ones that have been hanging around the pantry for some time. And while convenient, jarred minced garlic just doesn't have the same punch as fresh.

Dried herbs: I like to use rosemary, oregano, and thyme but varieties can be mixed and matched to fit your tastes.

Fresh parsley: Add this at the end so it retains its flavor. Dried parsley doesn't have much "pop" like fresh does, but can be used in a pinch. Use one-half teaspoon of dried parsley as a substitute and add it along with the other dried herbs.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Step 1: Slice or tear bread into roughly half-inch cubes.

2. Step 2: Pulse in batches in a food processor until small, coarse crumbs form.

3. Step 3: Heat olive oil in a large pan over low heat, then cook garlic for one minute.

4. Step 4: Increase the heat to medium-low and add the bread crumbs, dried herbs, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

5. Step 5: Toast, stirring very frequently, until crisp and golden-brown to your liking. Reduce the heat if necessary to ensure the breadcrumbs toast evenly and don't burn. This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending upon your stove and temperature. Stir in the fresh parsley a few minutes from the end of the cook time.

Flavor Variations

As written, this pangrattato recipe keeps things simple so the garlic and Italian herb flavor can shine. Here are ways I've zhushed it, depending upon what I'm serving:

• Adding a shake or two of crushed red pepper for some heat.
• Doubling the rosemary for a bolder, prominent flavor.
• Stirring in finely-grated lemon zest near the end of the cook time. This is especially nice if you plan for it to accompany vegetables or a seafood dish.
• Combining with grated Pecorino Romano - the best of both worlds!

Tips and Tricks

• Blitz in batches. Processing half of the bread at a time helps produce more evenly-sized crumbs. Trying to circulate the whole eight ounces at once risks some of the bread cubes turning to mush before others get a chance to break down.
• Stir (very) frequently - This is crucial for even toasting.
• Be mindful of the heat - Use low heat with the garlic to ensure it doesn't brown, and increase to medium-low-ish when toasting the bread. But keep a close eye! You want to allow the breadcrumbs time to crisp and dry before overly browning or burning, so adjust the heat downward as necessary.
• Fresh herb substitutions - All fresh herbs can be used in place of dried. The general guidance is to use three times the amount of fresh herbs in place of dried (so one tablespoon fresh for one teaspoon dried).
• Stick to the stovetop method - Though it's always tempting to see if recipes that pan fry using tablespoons of olive oil can air fry, I would not air fry pangrattato. The fan mechanism will cause the small, light bread bits to go flying all over your air fryer and risk a fire.
• Storage - Let pangrattato cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. Any residual heat will create condensation in the container that can soften the breadcrumbs and reduce their crispness.

Serving Suggestions

No matter how you like to eat these crunchy Italian breadcrumbs, one important tip remains true: garnish at the table just before digging in for maximum crispness.

Salad: Scatter over in place of croutons. The herby flavor pairs well with a spinach and arugula salad and its citrusy vinaigrette.

Pasta: Simple pastas, like pasta and peas, pasta and chickpeas, etc., benefit nicely from a savory breadcrumb garnish. And they add great crunch to stovetop mac and cheese.

Soups: Great on thick and creamy dishes, like potato and pureed white bean soup.

Vegetables: The combination of textures and flavors makes pangrattato a perfect roasted vegetable topping. Sprinkle over roasted broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or broccolini, for an instantly elevated side dish.