Giada De Laurentiis’ Panzanella Salad Is Basically Pizza Without the Dough & Is Meant To Be Marinated

You can now enjoy the flavors of pizza without having to actually eat pizza — and that could be great news for your digestive system and metabolism. The Giadzy Instagram account shared Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for Panzanella, which is basically just pizza in salad form. And although there’s no dough, the emphasis is still on delicious bread croutons. So yes, you can have your carbs and eat them, too.

“This Panzanella Salad is vibrant and filled with flavors inspired by beloved pizza: oregano, pepper flakes, mozzarella, pepperoni and olives,” the caption of the Giadzy post reads. “It gets perfect after sitting for at least 10 to 15 minutes when the croutons get ever so slightly soaked in vinaigrette — absolutely DELISH.”

To make Panzanella, which is a Tuscan salad recipe that literally translates to “bread pizza,” start with making your croutons. De Laurentiis likes using cubed ciabatta or another white bread tossed in oil, parmesan cheese, and salt and baked for about 15 minutes in a hot oven. Then, move on to the vinaigrette, which is a mixture of white wine vinegar, honey, oregano, and pepper flakes.

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Finally, it’s already time to assemble. Gather together all your pizza basics mentioned above and toss them in the vinaigrette. Add your croutons, as well as a handful of arugula and a few sprigs of basil, and then leave it to sit for at least 10 minutes. This allows all the flavors to marinate in the vinaigrette and meld together to create that pizza goodness.

Ideal for those days when you’re craving pizza but just can’t do another pizza night this week, this Panzanella salad will become a favorite on your weekly rotation. Grab the full recipe on De Laurentiis’ Giadzy website to get the full ingredients rundown and how-to.

In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty:

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