Dan Pelosi’s Tuscan Panzanella Salad

I fell in love with Dan Pelosi last summer…

Of course, I was already a big fan of the Italian-American cookbook author, who lives in a gorgeous farmhouse upstate with his equally cute husband, Gus. We’d written on Cup of Jo about how Dan turns around a bad day, and he’d attended my holiday cookie swap (although he’s more famous for his own!).

But then, last summer, Toby and I went upstate and ran into Dan and Gus at an outdoor pizza spot, and they immediately shepherded us to their picnic table and were so warm and wonderful that Toby didn’t stop talking about them the whole drive home.

So! I’m thrilled to report that Dan has written a new cookbook — Let’s Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day — which came out yesterday.

How sweet is the dedication page?

His book is full of entertaining showstoppers, like steak over frites…

…simple favorites, including a green salad with shallot dressing…

…and sweet treats. And, today, to celebrate tomato season and his cookbook, Dan has agreed to share his panzanella recipe. “You know that board game, Operation?” he says. “If it were based on me, you’d see a tomato where my heart should be.”

Tuscan Panzanella Salad
from Dan Pelosi’s Let’s Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day
Serves 6 to 8

Says Dan: “I’ve always said panzanella salad is just a bread basket in drag. It’s the same satisfying taste of ripping apart a dinner roll and running it through vinegary oil but dressed up for the evening gown portion of the night. This salad began as Tuscan peasant food, a very smart way to get an extra meal out of stale loaves. Now you’ll find it with luxury accessories like cheese, stone fruits, or all kinds of proteins. When the tomatoes mingle with onions, red wine vinegar, oil, and plenty of salt and pepper, you’ve got everything you need in the world.”

3 pounds of heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 (16-ounce) loaf crusty bread, torn into 1-inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the tomatoes (and any collected juices from the cutting board) in a large bowl and add a few big pinches of salt and plenty of pepper. Toss gently to mix. Add the onion along with the vinegar and olive oil. Toss again.

On a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle the bread with a little bit of olive oil and toss to coat. Toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and let the bread cool on the sheet pan, about 15 minutes.

Just before serving, add the bread to the bowl and toss to coat in the juices. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Note: To make ahead, the bread can be toasted and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to three days.

Thank you so much, Dan! You can find his new cookbook here, if you’d like.

P.S. The easy chicken dinner our family makes on busy weeknights, and a pasta cake, just for fun.

(Reprinted with permission from Let’s Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day by Dan Pelosi © 2025. Published by Union Square & Co. Photos © Johnny Miller.)