Il Bacco Felice, “the happy bacchus,” was my friend Salvatore Denaro’s restaurant in Foligno. It was here that Roberto began his career in wine, assisting Salvatore in exploring the fruits of the vine. Was it a restaurant? Not exactly. It was more like an extension of Salvatore’s soul, open to the public and mixed with his orto, or herb garden. He almost didn’t cook; he assembled nature on the plate. I don’t think he’d ever seen a measuring cup in his life. This was perhaps most evident in his transcendent panzanella, a traditional summer salad that combines fresh tomatoes, day-old bread, and whatever vegetables you have in your garden into a tangy-sweet salad. As Alberto and I waited with our bottle of wine, Salvatore would duck into his kitchen garden and return a few minutes later, arms full of the juiciest tomatoes I’d ever seen. He’d disappear into the kitchen for another few minutes and then return, bearing the panzanella, another bottle, a ball of fresh mozzarella, and a huge smile.
Serves 4
4 slices day-old filone bread, torn into 1½- to 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons plus ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 large heirloom tomatoes, various colors, quartered
1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Persian cucumbers, thickly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 sprigs green basil, leaves roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons), plus more for garnish
1 sprig purple basil, leaves roughly chopped (about 1 tablespoon), plus more for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drizzle the bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and toast until the bread is crusty at the edges and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl. Toss with the remaining ½ cup olive oil and the vinegar, garlic, and salt.
3. Add the toasted bread and the chopped green and purple basil. Gently toss to coat but take care not to crush the tomatoes.
4. Let the salad marinate for 15 to 20 minutes before serving, so the bread absorbs all the juices. Garnish with a few more sprigs of green and purple basil.
“Il Buco is our second kitchen. Donna did something so special with this nook in New York City . . . there’s fairy dust sprinkled over the doorway.”
—LESLIE BIBB