Crostini alla Romana

Author Notes

This is a family recipe of my Italian husband from Rome. It's an excellent way to use stale bread. The bread is soaked in milk, then cooked with oil in a frying pan; it's crispy on the surface but soft inside—so you eat it with a fork and knife. It's sort of savory French Toast without eggs, topped with mozzarella and anchovy.

Here I used flat leaf parsley, but other fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano and sage also work well.

To serve a crowd, you can finish the dish in 350° F (180° C) oven to melt the cheese so it's nice and bubbly. —Kyoko Ide

Test Kitchen Notes

This is a resourceful and comforting snack straight from Italy, and it's quick and easy to to boot. The fresh herbs complement the anchovies' salty and bold flavor, and the small portion is great for breaking the ice with anchovies before you commit an entire meal to them. It goes without saying that the melted cheese is also a major selling point. The bread is crisp on the outside but custardy on the inside, so that the crostini literally melt in your mouth. —Abbie C