At Christmas time in Italy every visitor seems to show up with a panettone for his host, meaning most homes end up with lots of extra panettone. I’ve become pretty creative when it comes to finding new uses for this delicious, fruit-laden yeast bread. Bread pudding is one obvious possibility, but I once cut some up for croutons and thought they were sensational. Combined with candy-sweet roasted fruits and peppery arugula, they make a very sophisticated dish to serve with poached eggs for brunch or alongside grilled chicken or chops.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　3 cups 1-inch cubed panettone (about 6 ounces)

　　1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

　　1 cup red seedless grapes

　　2 Bartlett pears, cut into eighths and cored

　　2 plums, cut into eighths and pitted

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1/4 cup honey, preferably orange blossom

　　1/4 cup canola oil

　　2 tablespoons heavy cream

　　Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 cups (6 ounces) arugula

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

　　

Step 2

Spread out the panettone cubes on a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until dark golden brown and crispy on the outside, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. The croutons will continue to crisp up as they cool.

　　

Step 3

Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.

　　

Step 4

Place the fruit in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the butter, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the sugar. Toss to coat and spread the fruit out in a single layer on a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the pears are tender and the fruit is beginning to brown on the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

　　

Step 5

Meanwhile, combine the honey, the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, the canola oil, cream, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender. Run the machine until the ingredients are well blended. Set aside.

　　

Step 6

To assemble the salad, place the arugula, roasted fruit, and panettone croutons in a large bowl. Add the salad dressing, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

　　Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.