Syracuse's Italian Sausage Panzanella Recipe

Syracuse's Sausage 2009 Recipe Contest

2nd Place Winner: Mary Leverette (SC)

Syracuse's Italian Sausage Panzanella

Ingredients:

4 cups ½ -inch bread cubes, cut from Italian bread
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 4-ounce Syracuse Mild Italian Sausage, grilled or pre-cooked and cut into ½ -inch cubes
4 ounces Provolone Cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup red wine vinegar

Cooking Instructions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on baking sheet and bake until toasted and golden – about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Return bread to the large bowl. Add sausage, cheese, tomatoes, onion, basil and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk remaining oil with vinegar and drizzle over bread mixture. Toss gently and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Story Of Recipe: Panzanella is an Italian bread salad. It is perfect for lunch or a light supper. Packed with flavor, it's so easy to make and we can use fresh summer vegetables and herbs from the garden. I often add whatever is ripe and ready!

Why I Use Syracuse's: Syracuse Mild Italian Sausage is flavorful, convenient and always top quality. I know that every package and style is going to be great.

Our Note: When testing this recipe in our Syracuse's test kitchen, we liked the simplicity of the recipe, and we thought this is a perfect idea for leftover cooked Syracuse's italian sausage and day old italian bread or even rolls. It was best with juicy homegrown tomatoes that are in season, so the bread can soak up the juices. If you don't like cilantro, you can use fresh italian flat leaf parsley. Nice summertime dish for a picnic or brunch, for a side or even as a main course. It's light but filling.