Savory Cacio E Pepe French Toast With Jammy Tomatoes Recipe

Sweet French toast with delicious toppings like berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup is a popular staple on breakfast and brunch menus across the country. Savory French toast is not as well known, but this delicious dish has infinite varieties and deserves equal recognition. As a plus, it can be eaten at any time of day, not just for breakfast. Topping ideas are abundant for savory versions, and include fried or scrambled eggs, avocado, roasted vegetables, bacon or sausage, cheese, and fresh vegetables and herbs. Cacio e pepe may not be on the tip of the tongue when thinking about French toast flavors, but Italian food fans may be pleased to know that this combination works very well.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico was inspired by the flavors of central Italy when creating this recipe for savory cacio e pepe French toast with jammy tomatoes. Cacio e pepe pasta, a famous dish from the region of Lazio in Italy, consists of only three ingredients in its purest form: pasta (usually spaghetti), cacio, and black pepper. The term cacio includes a wide variety of hard sheep's milk cheeses that are abundant in Italy, including caciocavallo, caciotta, and pecorino romano, the cheese used most frequently to make cacio e pepe. This recipe features eggy bakery bread flavored with pecorino, black pepper, garlic powder, and parsley. The soaked bread is fried in butter and then topped with garlicky roasted tomatoes and fresh basil for a deliciously unique take on savory French toast.

For this recipe, you will need unsliced bakery bread. This recipe is written for 8 slices of a standard-sized bakery loaf, but if you use a bread with smaller slices like ciabatta or baguette, just prepare more slices per person.

You will also need cherry or grape tomatoes for the roasted tomato topping as well as garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and salt for flavoring the tomatoes. The French toast batter will be made with eggs, pecorino cheese, garlic powder, black pepper, and parsley. Grab some butter for frying the soaked bread slices. Finally, have fresh basil leaves and some extra pecorino cheese on hand for topping the French toast before serving.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Place tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl and toss well to coat.

Transfer tomatoes to a lightly greased baking sheet and spread out in a single layer, cut side up.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tomatoes are very easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, place eggs, pecorino cheese, garlic powder, black pepper, and parsley in a mixing bowl, and whisk well.

Dip half of the slices of bread, one piece at a time, in the egg mixture until fully soaked and a little softened.

Melt half of the butter in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Place the bread in the hot pan and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining bread, egg mixture, and butter.

Plate the French toast and top with more grated pecorino, warm roasted tomatoes, and torn basil leaves.

Serve immediately.

The best bread for French toast can vary according to the recipe and your tastes. A traditional sweet version can be made with regular sliced bread or with softer bread like challah or brioche. For this savory recipe, we recommend something more structured. Choose a whole loaf of bakery bread and give it a squeeze — you don't want one that's too squishy. You could choose Italian bread or ciabatta, but avoid the loaves that are flavored with add-ins like rosemary or cheese because this recipe is already flavorful. Sourdough bread or a baguette are other good choices. Check the ingredients, and try to choose a loaf with the fewest ingredients. Loaves with a lengthy ingredient list are more processed and will take a long time to go stale.

It's key to use stale or leftover bread that's at least one day old because it will absorb the batter better, it won't get mushy or fall apart, and it will keep some structure after it's cooked. Buy the loaf whole and slice it yourself so you can cut thick slices that will be more enjoyable to bite into. If you want your fresh bread to dry out faster, slice it, place the slices in a single layer on a wire rack so both sides are exposed to air, and let them sit out for a few hours or overnight. 

Roasted tomatoes are a juicy and flavorful topping for savory French toast, but they aren't the only tasty option. The base of this French toast recipe is eggy bread flavored with ingredients inspired by cacio e pepe pasta, so Italian toppings come to mind first. Instead of (or as well as) roasted tomatoes, roasted eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini would also be a great fit. Cacio e pepe French toast topped with a Caprese salad made of fresh chopped cherry tomatoes, hand-torn basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella would make a lovely summer lunch or dinner.

Cheese lovers could spread ricotta on the bread or top it with sliced mozzarella or fontina, and meat lovers could add prosciutto or sausage. Fresh or cooked spinach or saucy sauteed cannellini beans would add an extra layer of flavor and substance. Preserved ingredients like artichoke hearts, olives, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes would add interest, color, and a kick of flavor. And fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano, and marjoram are good options to add an herbaceous burst of freshness.