shrimp basil panzella with tomatoes and spinach

 

You know why I like Italian food? It's because they have dishes like panzella, which is pretty much a fancy word for bread salad.

And what's not to like about bread salad? Not much, in my opinion.

Also, panzella, despite its gourmet and fancy name, is super easy to make. Delicious, contains bread and is easy to make. Clearly this is a meal that the husband and I will be having much more often.

Shrimp Basil Panzella with Tomatoes and Spinach (adapted from Cooking Light)
1/2 loaf of French bread
5 cups of tomato wedges (about 4 to 5 large)
1/2 pound shrimp (most sustainable shrimp is wild-caught Oregon pink shrimp)
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp red pepper
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sea salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
handful of basil leaves
handful of spinach

Cube the bread and toast on a cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees until toasty and brown, flipping once half way through.

Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with 1 tsp sea salt; place in large bowl and set aside.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic cloves and cook until fragrant (about 5 minutes)

Turn heat down and add shrimp, black pepper, red pepper and remaining sea salt. Cook until shrimp are down, about 2 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in lemon juice and add shrimp, bread and basil to tomatoes. Mix gently and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve over fresh spinach leaves.

 

xo, erika

p.s. last week to vote!