Tomato and White Bean Panzanella

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Pantry Essential: BEANS

When I left Chicago, my good friends Sam and Anne threw a little going-away party for me. That night, Sam made the best panzanella I’ve ever had. I asked him if could riff on his recipe for the book, and he said yes, but under one condition—I couldn’t call it “Samzanella.” Hmmm. I switched up his version a little by reducing the oil, adding some white beans, and then sprinkling on some red pepper flakes to give it a tiny bit of spice—I call it the Samzanella Remix. Sorry, buddy. If you’re going to give me a good food pun . . . I’m going to have to use it.

5 cups crusty bread, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (see Kitchen Notes)

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for toasting

Sea salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

4 cups chopped tomatoes (I like to use a combination of different tomatoes, including some quartered cherry tomatoes)

1 small red onion, shaved or sliced very thin

1 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed if canned

2 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat of a knife

12 large basil leaves, torn

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and get a baking sheet ready.

Toss the bread with a glug of oil, a pinch of salt, and the red pepper flakes. Toast it in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bread is slightly crunchy on the outside and still a little soft in the middle.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, beans, garlic, basil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes.

To make the vinaigrette, drain the juice that’s formed at the bottom of the tomato bowl and transfer it to a small bowl. Whisk in the ¼ cup oil.

When you’re ready to serve, remove the garlic cloves from the tomato mixture and add the toasted bread cubes. Pour on the vinaigrette and toss everything together. Add a little more salt if needed. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

KITCHEN NOTES: When I make panzanella, I prefer to use a crusty sourdough bread. Because of the fermentation process used to make it, sourdough is more digestible than some other gluten-containing breads. As I’ve said before, though, use the type of bread that works best for you.