Bite-Sized Panzanella Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe

If you haven't tried panzanella before, it is much more delicious than the ingredients might make it sound. Stale bread soaked in vinaigrette and tomato juices, along with some crunch from fresh vegetables and herbs may sound like an unusual salad, but it makes complete sense once it hits your tastebuds. Panzanella is a very old and classic Italian preparation that is most delicious in the summer months when tomatoes are at their peak of ripeness. Recipe developer Julie Kinnaird gives this classic a twist with her bite-sized panzanella stuffed tomatoes. Flavorful Campari tomatoes serve as the vessels for a panzanella made with cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and capers. Ciabatta bread makes up the base of the salad, which is given a boost of brightness with fresh basil and mint.

Although these appetizers look complicated, they are quite easy to put together. You can even hollow out the tomatoes in advance along with the salad for easy last minute assembly. They hold up beautifully for entertaining and are brimming with eye catching color. Try serving the panzanella alongside a cheese and charcuterie board or with your favorite tapas.

This summery recipe starts with flavorful Campari tomatoes. Look for tomatoes that are ripe but not overly soft, as they will be more difficult to trim and hold their shape. Choose tomatoes that are uniform in size for the best presentation and even distribution of stuffing. 

To make the filling, you will need Italian ciabatta bread. Ciabatta is ideal with its chewy outer crust and airy interior. The bread will be toasted, so stale bread is just fine — in fact, it's traditional when making panzanella. To the bread you will add seedless English cucumber, red onion, yellow sweet bell pepper (you could also use red or orange, but yellow provides a nice color contrast), brine-packed capers, garlic, and fresh basil and mint leaves. Extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar are used to dress the salad, along with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper for seasoning. 

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the bread slices in an even layer.

Bake the bread for about 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Remove from oven and cool.

While the bread is baking, use a serrated knife to cut a very thin slice from the bottom of 16 of the tomatoes so that they sit flat.

Turn the tomatoes over and cut about ¼-inch from the top of each.

Scoop out the tomato seeds with a melon baller or small spoon.

Place the prepared tomatoes on a plate, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Once the bread is cool, cut it into tiny pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Remove the stems ends and seeds from the remaining 2 tomatoes and finely chop.

Add the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, capers, and garlic to the bowl with the bread and toss.

Stir in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to combine and the bread to soften.

Add 1 tablespoon basil and the mint to the bread filling.

Carefully fill the tomatoes with the mixture.

Garnish with the remaining basil and serve immediately.

Panzanella has quite the history, and the earliest written record of it (that we know of) came from 14th century Italian writer Boccaccio. A couple hundred years later, poet Agnolo di Cosimo wrote an entire poem about a dish that sure sounded a lot like panzanella. Interestingly, tomatoes were not in the picture yet (because tomatoes weren't in the picture in Italy in general just yet), but these early versions of panzanella did involve soaking stale, dry bread in liquid and combining it with other vegetables and greens. 

Eventually, tomatoes were introduced in Italy and gained popularity, which is when they became the flavor star of panzanella. The juices and acidity from the tomatoes combined with vinegar (even old wine) and olive oil created a refreshing salad out of minimal ingredients. Now, panzanella is an Italian staple, with regional variations abounding. Ciabatta is a classic choice for the bread, but any crusty Italian loaf will do. To take this recipe to the next level, consider adding additions like diced green beans, bacon, olives, or even bits of fresh mozzarella.

Campari tomatoes are a modern hybrid variety of tomato, which are characterized by their smaller size, juicy sweetness, and vibrant red color. The Campari variety is a bit larger than cherry tomatoes and are popular for making bruschetta, dipping, or garnishing salads and other dishes. Since their flavor develops even more with heat, Campari tomatoes are also great for roasting, grilling, or in sauces. Even when it's not necessarily tomato season, Campari tomatoes are often available in grocery stores nonetheless, making for a reliably delicious option in the produce section. 

Campari tomatoes are considered to be cocktail tomatoes, along with other familiar favorites like grape or cherry tomatoes. While grape tomatoes would not be a suitable substitute for stuffing in this recipe, due to their slim and elongated shape, larger cherry tomatoes could certainly be used. You could also consider using Roma tomatoes while they are in season. Romas also have an elongated shape, but are large enough to be trimmed on each end and then cut in half lengthwise before scooping out and filling.