Recipe of the week

In Italy, “there is no one way to make pane cotto,” or “cooked bread,” said Diane Unger in Milk Street magazine. A home cook east of Naples showed us how she turns stale bread into a great side for roasted poultry. Our adaptation starts with fresh bread, for a chewier result.

Parmesan-garlic crisped bread with spicy greens

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve • 6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled • 8 oz crusty white bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 cups) • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth • 1 tsp red pepper flakes • 3 large heads escarole (2½ to 3 lbs total), bruised outer leaves discarded, torn into rough 1-inch pieces • kosher salt • ground black pepper

• In a large Dutch oven over medium-low, combine ½ cup oil and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard garlic. Add bread to pot and toss to coat. Cook over medium, stirring, until bread is well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pot from heat and transfer bread to a large bowl. Add Parmesan to bread and toss to combine; set aside.

• In same pot over medium-high, bring broth and pepper flakes to a simmer. Add escarole, a couple handfuls at a time, stirring to wilt leaves before adding more. After all escarole has been added, cook, uncovered and stirring often, until escarole is tender and liquid has mostly evaporated, about 10 minutes. Off heat, add remaining ¼ cup oil, then return toasted bread to pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serves 4.