Pangrattato (Crispy Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs)
Turn stale bread into crispy, flavorful Italian-style breadcrumbs known as pangrattato. These golden-brown, garlic-infused breadcrumbs are seasoned with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese, creating the perfect crunchy topping for pasta dishes, salads, and more. A traditional Italian recipe that magically turns simple ingredients into a versatile kitchen staple!
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Ingredients
- 170 g stale bread about 1/2 loaf, 2 cups
- 10 g parmesan finely shredded, 1/3 cup
- 1.5 tbsp oil
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ tsp fresh oregano minced
- ½ tsp fresh parsley minced
- ½ tsp fresh basil minced
- ½ tsp fresh rosemary minced
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- pinch paprika
Instructions
- Prep your bread. Cut any hardened crust off of your bread. While it can be tempting to leave it on, hard crust will not create even breadcrumbs.170 g stale bread
- Process bread slices. Pulverize bread in food processor. You may have to do this in batches depending how much bread you have.170 g stale bread
- Heat and infuse your oil. Heat the oil in a skillet and put the garlic in for 1-2 minutes to flavor the oil.1.5 tbsp oil, 2 cloves garlic
- Toast breadcrumbs. Add your breadcrumbs to the oil and garlic, allowing them to toast on medium-low heat for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add parmesan. Add in the parmesan cheese, stirring to coat the breadcrumbs.10 g parmesan
- Continue to toast. Cook your breadcrumbs until they reach your desired level of toastiness and become a deep golden brown color.
- Add herbs and seasonings. Add in your chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Stir well to combine and remove from the heat.1/2 tsp fresh oregano, 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, 1/2 tsp fresh basil, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, pinch paprika, 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
- Use or cool and store. Use your breadcrumbs immediately or allow your breadcrumbs to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. If you live in a humid environment, you may want to store your breadcrumbs in the fridge to prevent them from rehydrating.
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
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- not evenly toasted - If your breadcrumbs aren’t uniform in size, they will not toast evenly, so make sure to get them as evenly chopped as possible in your food processor.
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- inconsistently sized crumbs - remove the crust from your bread before processing. The crust is harder and darker, which means it won't process evenly with the rest of the bread. If you don't remove the crust, you'll end up with inconsistent sizes; some powdered fine crumbs and some larger coarse crumbs. For the most even texture, stick to using just the middle of the bread, without the crust.
♻️ customize your pangrattato recipe
- mix up the herbs + seasonings - I love using a mix of fresh parsley, basil, and oregano. But you can really get creative with the herbs and make your own blends! I’ve also tried using a combo of fresh rosemary and thyme for a “holiday blend” too! You can get even more creative with homemade seasonings blends, like a classic everything bagel mix!
- dried herbs instead of fresh - if you aren’t using your breadcrumbs right away, you may want to use dried herbs instead of fresh as the fresh herbs will discolor and lose their bright flavor the longer you store them.
- types of bread - I love using different kinds of bread for these breadcrumbs. Focaccia is great, sourdough sandwich bread is great, or plain Italian baguettes work wonderful too! The best part about this recipe is you can literally use whatever extra bread you have on hand.
Nutrition
Calories: 44kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 0.4mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.4mg
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Keyword: al fresco, basil, herbs, seasonings, topping