Today I want to share another beautiful Southern Italian condiment, called Pangritata, or poor mans parmesan.   Traditionally it was used to add texture and flavour to oil based pasta dishes without using expensive Parmesan Cheese,  made simply with stale bread, garlic fresh herbs and olive oil toasted in a pan until golden. This is a great recipe idea in many ways.  It is ideal for using up the ends of beautiful artisan breads or even the not so artisan.  It is good for adding texture and a pop of flavour to anything needing some crunch and a final flourish.  In its original and simplest form it does all this, but add a few store cupboard ingredients to match what you are cooking and it becomes something altogether magical making simple meals special and, when the fridge is a little bare, it finishes a meal sprinkled over and through pantry favourites such as risotto rice, pasta, polenta, artichokes, tinned tomatoes, capers, olives and anchovies CRISPY PLAIN PANGRITATA By hand or by pulsing in a food processor roughly chop all of your ingredients together. Put all together in a pan large enough to cook in a single layer, and toss together with the olive oil so they are nicely coated but not drenched. Turn the pan on to a medium heat and gently cook until golden brown and crisp. Once made you can use these straight away or cool and store in an airtight jar for several days.  Make them on a […]