Pane Cotto With Cherry Tomatoes
This Pane Cotto ("Cooked Bread") is a fabulous way to utilize stale bread and sweet, ripe, tomatoes. It makes an excellent side dish, especially to any chicken entree like roasted chicken!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day-old Italian country bread or French baguette, torn into bite size pieces The bread should be a durum wheat bread with a hard crust. Tearing bread is faster and feels more rustic!
- 5 ounces provolone cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes), sliced in half
- 4 cloves garlic, minced If you prefer a milder garlic flavor, try 2 smashed cloves instead.
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes Add these to taste, or feel free to omit if you don't like spiciness.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- 1/2 cup broth This is optional if you want to add an extra layer of flavor. I like to use chicken broth, but you can also use vegetable.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano These cheeses are optional, but they melt and brown to make a nice crusty top! Just be aware of how much salt you add if you plan to use these, as they are salty. Especially the Pecorino.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the torn pieces of bread into a colander. Quickly rinse with warm water, just enough to moisten the bread, but try not to make it soaking wet. You can also choose to moisten the bread with broth if you prefer, but using water still results in a flavorful dish and is a bit quicker.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese, and garlic. Add the paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Pour the 1/4 cup of olive oil over the mixture and add a sprinkle of sea salt to taste. Mix well.
- Once the bread has softened, squeeze out any excess liquid and add the bread pieces to the large bowl with the tomatoes. Mix to incorporate.
- Grease a baking dish with a little bit of olive oil. Pour in the bread and tomato mixture and spread evenly. If you want, you can top the mixture with a sprinkle of cheese (if not more provolone, try Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano). Drizzle a little olive oil on top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cheese has melted. Serve warm. Buon appetito!