What is Panzanella? Well I'm married to an Italian and he hadn't heard of it. Panzanella is a regional peasant dish that used up any stale bread with the tomato crop. A Tuscan feast of hearty bread, tomato, vegetables of choice (particularly onion) and herbs. Seasoned, tossed and served under the Mediterranean sun. Opt for a sturdy bread, not your floury farmhouse as it won't soak up all those vegetable juices whilst staying firm. I have used sourdough in this recipe because it bakes to a lovely crisp consistency and has a lovely flavour. 

This is my version of panzanella. It includes my favourite vegetables but you can choose the best mix for you. I also added mozzarella but if you are vegan simply leave the cheese out. Instead of plain bread I salted and baked the chunks in the oven as I love the bite, even after soaked with the juicy flavours. 

Ingredients:

Small sourdough loaf

1 large red onion sliced.

2 courgettes cubed

1 aubergine cubed

2 peppers chunked

1 ball of mozzarella

1 handful of fresh basil

Sounds good to me:

1. Preheat your oven 180C. 
2. Cut your sourdough into cubes about 1.5 inches . Mine were a little chunky for this dish and I had to resort to picking them up. Place them on a baking tray, season and sprinkle some olive oil over the top. 
3. Place your bread cubes in the oven for about 20 minutes, remove and leave to cool.
4. Spread your courgettes, aubergine, onion and peppers onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season. Place in the oven for about 35-40 minutes.
5. Remove your vegetables and place in a large serving dish.
6. Mix in the sourdough cubes and diced mozzarella. 
7. Sprinkle fresh basil on top and serve.

Buon appetito