Recipe: Carmine's Bread Crumbs

CARMINE'S BREAD CRUMBS

"Do you want to know one of our best-kept secrets? It's our fresh bread crumbs seasoned with fresh garlic, parsley, and top-quality cheese. No frills, just a good, carefully made ingredient that makes so many of our dishes sing with joy and flavor! This is a good way to use up day-old or slightly stale bread, but not so stale that it's hard."

6 slices white bread, with crusts, torn into large pieces
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons plus teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the bread until it is coarsely ground. Add the cheese, garlic, parsley, and oregano and pulse the mixture until the bread crumbs are finely ground.

Season the bread crumbs to taste with salt and pepper and pulse the mixture just to mix in the seasonings.

Use the bread crumbs immediately or refrigerate them in an airtight container for 3 to4 days.

Makes about 4 cups
Source: Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook: More Than 100 Classic Italian Dishes to Make at Home by Michael Ronis with Mary Goodbody