Hands up who is like me, someone who loves cooking, and certainly enjoys eating home cooked food but sometimes just wishes a meal will magically appear at dinner time without much effort? Some days, the rigmarole of cooking can just be the feather that breaks the camel’s back. Not that you (or I) are camels….but you get the idea.
Anyway, I almost called for a takeaway meal but hesitated at the thought of the limited local offerings. So what are we going to have for dinner? With that question raging in my mind, and a series of opening and closing cupboards and fridge, a light bulb went off. Conchiglie with tinned sardines, tenderstem broccoli, black olives and my killer crunchy topping, Pangrattato. Readers, this topping makes all the difference and you can make this ahead and keep in the freezer.
Pangrattato, the Italian word that means “grated bread” or breadcrumbs. This topping is made of stale bread crumbs, crushed garlic, chopped rosemary or thyme, all fried in olive oil to a crunchy topping. A deliciously versatile 100% plant based alternative for vegans, to sprinkle on pasta, risottos and stews to add texture. Perfect when a grating of Parmesan is just wrong, such as on fish and seafood based dishes.
To make this, simply whizz the bread in a food processor to crumbs, fry them with the chopped herbs, crushed garlic, chilli flakes (a bit of spice lights up your life, eh!) and olive oil till crisp and golden. They keep for a few days in a sealed container but if they go a little soft, just toast them again in a hot pan for a few minutes. I am going to make a bigger batch and freeze a portion for a rainy(!) day.
Notice that I didn’t give you the quantities, well that’s because it depends on what you already have. You can absolutely adjust the spices and herbs. But if you must work with a recipe, here it is.
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or fresh thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 slices stale bread (the bookends of a loaf are ideal)
Pinch of dried chilli flakes (or to taste)
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
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