Pangrattato (Garlic-Herb Toasted Italian Breadcrumbs)

Pangrattato, or garlic-herb toasted Italian breadcrumbs, adds crunchy texture and savory flavor to your favorite pastas and salads!
If you take a look at the archives of Soup & Sammie, you’ll notice I have a thing for recipes that add a little “something extra” to dishes. From cheesy croutons to seed salad sprinkle I’m a fan of anything that adds texture, crunch and umami to my plate.
And my latest obsession, Pangrattato, or toasted Italian breadcrumbs with garlic and herbs, is a fantastic way to add crunchy texture and savory flavor to a variety of dishes – everything from simple pasta dishes and salads or even as a topping for a fried egg.
So what is Pangrattato?
Pangrattato is a classic Italian recipe that literally translates to “toasted breadcrumbs.” It’s typically made by sautéing breadcrumbs in olive oil or butter, sometimes with garlic and herbs, until golden and crispy. It’s commonly used to finish pastas, vegetables, or soups, giving the dish an extra layer of flavor and crunch.
It’s a quintessential example of Italian cucina povera, or “poor kitchen,” which refers to the tradition of making the most out of simple, everyday ingredients. In this case, stale bread or breadcrumbs that might otherwise be discarded or become food waste, is transformed into something delicious and useful. Some even refer to it as the “poor man’s parmesan.”
Pangrattato is particularly common in central and southern Italy, especially in regions like Lazio, Tuscany, and Sicily. In these areas, it’s often used as a crunchy topping for pasta dishes (like pasta alla gricia or spaghetti con aglio e olio), vegetables, or soups, where it adds both texture and flavor.

Pangrattato Ingredients
One of the great things about Pangrattato is its versatility – it can be made with just a few simple ingredients like garlic and olive oil, or you can infuse it with a variety of herbs and even cheese. Here is what I like to use in my Pangrattato recipe:
- Panko Breadcrumbs: While I know it’s not traditional, I love using Japanese panko breadcrumbs to make Pangrattato. Unlike traditional breadcrumbs made from a loaf of stale bread that is then finely ground, panko is larger, flakier and more irregular in shape. That means they toast up beautifully and are great at absorbing flavors – ideal when making Pangrattato. That said, if you want to be more traditional, you can definitely make your own breadcrumbs (see below for tips on how to do this).
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Primarily produced in Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain, and Greece, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is a high quality, often unrefined olive oil variety made from cold-pressed olives. Olive oil is an essential ingredient for toasting the breadcrumbs in Pangrattato – it allows the garlic and herbs to infuse their flavors into the crumbs and also helps to achieve the perfect crispy golden texture. While you can certainly use any variety of olive oil you like, I like using extra virgin olive oil because it adds another layer of flavor to the breadcrumbs.
- Fresh Garlic: Sharp, spicy, and slightly sweet when raw, fresh garlic adds a fragrant, savory punch to the Pangrattato, infusing the oil with its aroma and deepening the overall flavor of the crispy breadcrumbs. I like using fresh garlic here as dried or granulated garlic has a tendency to burn and become bitter during the breadcrumb toasting process.
- Fresh Sage: Earthy and slightly pine-like in flavor, fresh sage offers a warm, woodsy note that complements the richness of the olive oil. Its flavor really shines when toasted, which means it’s perfect for dishes like Pangrattato, where it is warmed in the olive oil before the breadcrumbs are added.
- Fresh Rosemary: Woody, piney, with a hint of citrus, fresh rosemary’s is a classic Italian herb that pairs beautifully with garlic and sage, enhancing the overall earthiness of the toasted breadcrumbs.
- Dried Oregano: Peppery and savory dried oregano rounds out the Pangrattato, giving it that quintessential flavor profile people are familiar with in Italian dishes.







How To Make Pangrattato
Pangrattato is a simple recipe, but for best results you need patience and lots of stirring so the breadcrumbs don’t burn. At a high level, here is how you make it:
- Heat olive oil and garlic in a large frying pan or skillet over low heat until the garlic starts to cook and oil is bubbly.
- Add the sage and rosemary and stir until fragrant.
- Add in the breadcrumbs, oregano and salt and stir until well coated in the oil.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and stir frequently until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Can I make my own breadcrumbs from stale bread?
If you want to be traditional about your Pangrattato, or maybe you just have a bunch of day-old white bread or stale sourdough bread that you don’t want to waste, you can easily turn them into breadcrumbs. Here is my favorite method for doing so:
- Prepare the Bread:
Cut the stale bread into chunks or slices. If it’s very dry, you can tear it into pieces.
- Process the Bread:
Place the chunks or slices of bread into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the bread until it reaches your desired crumb size. For Pangrattato you’ll want coarse crumbs, so only pulse briefly.
It’s easiest to make breadcrumbs from bread that is quite dry and stale. If your bread still has a little life to it, or you only have fresh bread lying around, you can use your oven to dry it out a bit more before processing. Here is how you do that:
- Preheat your oven to 300°F.
- Cut the bread into cubes or slices, arranging them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through, until the bread is dried out but not burnt.

Recipe FAQs
I wouldn’t recommend it. Fresh garlic infuses the oil with a rich, aromatic flavor, while garlic powder tends to burn quickly and can become bitter when cooked at high temperatures. If you must use garlic powder, add it at the end of the recipe – just before you remove the Pangrattato from the pan – to avoid burning.
Yes! While rosemary and sage are my favorite herb combination, you can experiment with different herbs like thyme or marjoram. Fresh basil is also a great option, but be sure to add it near the end, just before the breadcrumbs, as basil can burn easily.
Definitely! Pangrattato is versatile. For a little heat, try adding red pepper flakes with the rosemary and sage. To brighten the flavor, consider mixing in some lemon juice or fresh lemon zest. You could also finishing it with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or grated pecorino romano.
Store your cooled Pangrattato in an airtight container, like a mason jar. Be sure it’s completely cooled to room temperature before storing to prevent moisture, which can make it soggy. If you plan to use it within 3-5 days, keep it in a cool, dry place (like your kitchen counter or pantry). If you have a lot of leftover Pangrattato, you can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Related Recipes
Looking for a way to use the delicious Pangrattato you just made? One of my favorite dishes to use it on is my Winter Pasta Salad, which uses this exact Pangrattato as a topping.
Or maybe you’re interested in some other recipes to add some texture and flavor to your dishes? In that case, check out some of these fan favorite recipes for toppings and sides:
- Homemade Crispy Cheese Croutons
- Baked Parmesan Cheese Crisps
- Pumpernickel Croutons with Garlic-Mustard Seasoning
- Salad Sprinkle

Pangrattato (Garlic-Herb Toasted Italian Breadcrumbs)
Pangrattato, or garlic-herb toasted Italian breadcrumbs, adds crunchy texture and savory flavor to your favorite pastas and salads.
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup breadcrumbs 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs (I prefer panko-style breadcrumbs)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 4 large sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook Olive Oil and Garlic: Heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over low heat until the garlic starts to cook and oil is bubbly (you don’t want the garlic to burn!) approximately 5 minutes.
- Cook Fresh Herbs: Add the sage and rosemary and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add in the breadcrumbs, oregano and salt and stir until well coated in the oil.
- Cook Until Golden: Increase the heat to medium-high and stir frequently for 5-10 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden brown, being careful not to let it burn.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer Pangrattato to a plate and spread it out to help it cool down. Once cool, use as a topping on your favorite dish.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Topping
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
- Calories: 51
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 122.2 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg