Don’t toss out stale bread. Use it to create a hearty Tuscan soup and other Italian dishes

By Francesca Giuliani Hoffman, CNN

(CNN) — Before you throw away that last stale slice of bread or the heel you never like to eat, I have a recipe or two for you.

And really good ones. As an Italian-born foodie, I can tell you that Italians will not compromise on having a fresh loaf of bread in their homes — which you might think means that yesterday’s stale bread is at risk of ending up in the trash bin. On the contrary.

Repurposing ingredients and preserving food is central to my and so many other culinary traditions, so I always lean on tried-and-true ways to make a new meal out of something that could otherwise be wasted.

Those two or three tossed-out slices of bread add up: American consumers produce nearly 35 million tons of food waste at a cost of about $261 billion each year, according to ReFED’s latest report. That’s “with a B,” emphasized Sara Burnett, executive director of ReFED, a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste.

There are so many Italian recipes using stale bread as a base ingredient, completely transforming it into something incredibly delicious.

This resourcefulness runs deep in the culture, not just in home kitchens, but also in award-winning restaurants.

“I did not learn ‘sustainability’ from a trend; I knew it at the table with my grandmother Clara in Monterado,” said Michele Casadei Massari, CEO and executive chef of Lucciola Italian Restaurant in Manhattan.

“Bread was sacred. If it went stale, it didn’t die — it evolved,” he said. “She turned it into pappa al pomodoro, brothy, humble soups, and crumbs for meatballs and gratins.

“That reflex — never waste, always transform — is the most profound Italian lesson I carry into Lucciola daily.”

My own great-grandmother, a Roman of Tuscan origin, would use stale bread rehydrated in milk to make her beef meatballs even more scrumptious or to fortify soups (ever heard of ribollita?), or to make pappa al pomodoro, a thick stew in which what was once hard bread becomes spoonable, flavorful deliciousness, thanks to tomato sauce.

Beyond the iconic pappa al pomodoro (see the recipe below), other classic Italian dishes centered around stale bread include panzanella, “yesterday’s bread revived with the joy of summer vegetables,” in Massari’s words. In this hearty salad, stale bread is made soft again with water and/or vinegar, and tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, onions, cucumbers and olive oil.

Another great way to repurpose day-old bread is to make passatelli, “breadcrumbs and Parmigiano Reggiano shaped into tender strands for broth,” Massari reminded me. He also recommended canederli, “mountain bread dumplings that make ‘enough’ into ‘plenty.’” Those can include cheese, cured meats, herbs and other flavorings in the dough. The dumplings are delicious in broth or served with a silky cheese sauce.

These classics draw from what Massari calls “Italy’s original circular economy — quiet, joyful, and daily.”

Massari even applies a zero-waste philosophy to his tomato sauce. He uses the whole fruit (sans the core) by roasting it in the oven with shallots, oil and salt. (The recipe is also below.)

This method enhances the sauce to a new depth of flavor, according to Massari.

“The result is a deep, sweet-savory tomato with gentle shallot roundness,” the chef said. “Nothing is wasted.”

The next time you have stale bread lying around, yes, you could turn it into French toast or whip up an American-style casserole or make breadcrumbs or croutons, stuffing, or bread pudding. But of course, I recommend you go the Italian route with these recipes. Enjoy!

Chef Michele Casadei Massari’s Whole-Fruit Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Chef Massari finishes the tomato sauce with Palazzo di Varignana cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil from a region near Bologna, Italy, and Maldon sea salt flakes, which are available in most grocery stores and online.

Yields about 5 cups

Ingredients

• 5 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes (about 12 medium to large), washed and cored
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and halved
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or to taste

To finish

• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse sea salt flakes

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

2. Halve or quarter tomatoes (skins and seeds intact).

3. Add shallots.

4. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle evenly with kosher salt.

5. Roast for 60 to 75 minutes until the tomatoes collapse, the skins lightly caramelize and the shallots become soft.

6. Transfer everything — tomatoes, shallots, juices — into a blender/processor. Pulse to a smooth, pourable sauce. (Do not over-purée; skins and seeds add natural body.)

7. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil and finish with a pinch of sea salt.

Massari’s Pappa al Pomodoro

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
• 1 small shallot, minced (optional)
• 28 to 32 ounces Whole-Fruit Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce (recipe above)
• 14-ounce day-old country bread, torn into bite-size chunks
• 3 cups hot vegetable broth (Parmigiano Reggiano rinds welcome)
• Sea salt
• ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
• Black pepper

Directions

1. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a pot.

2. If desired, add minced shallot and soften 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add bread; fold in hot broth a little at a time, stirring as bread dissolves.

5. Simmer gently until creamy and spoonable, 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Season to taste with sea salt.

7. Remove from heat and fold in basil. Let the soup rest 5 minutes.

8. Serve with a final drizzle of remaining olive oil and a crack of pepper.

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