Panzanella is a staple of Tuscan cooking that is traditionally made with leftover stale bread; the dressing moistens the bread, which soaks in all the flavors and juices from the vegetables. I like panzanella but I love cornbread. When I found myself with lots of leftover cornbread one Thanksgiving, I was inspired to give it an Italian spin, and this salad was born. It’s best to use stale cornbread, but if you have only fresh cornbread, toast the cubes in the oven at 300°F for 8 to 10 minutes to dry them out; that way they won’t fall apart in the salad and become mushy.

Ingredients

　　1 pound cornbread, cut into 2 3/4-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

　　1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

　　1 cup cubed fontina cheese (about 1/2-inch cubes)

　　1/2 hothouse cucumber, quartered and sliced

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Dressing

　　Zest of 1 lemon

　　Juice of 2 lemons

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Step 1

Step 2

　　Everyday Pasta