Carbone's Salads Have Irresistible Croutons — And Here's The Secret Ingredient

Carbone Italian restaurant in New York's Greenwich Village has been the place to see and be seen since it opened in 2013, and reservations at the eatery are still difficult to snag. The appeal comes from a combination of atmosphere, celeb sightings, and really good food. It's moody and dim, giving mid-century Italian New York vibes, and it serves up many dishes that are basically expected at a red sauce joint. The most talked-about dish is arguably the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka pasta dish, but close behind is the Caesar alla ZZ, Carbone's take on Caesar salad that features some really irresistible croutons.

On the menu since the very first day, Caesar alla ZZ is made with tender little gem lettuce, a homemade Caesar dressing, and generously sized, red-tinted croutons that are clearly made with more than a little olive oil and salt. In fact, home cooks who have recreated the famous salad found that tomato paste is responsible for the crouton's rich hue. Copycat recipes also feature ingredients like red pepper flakes, oregano, melted butter, and roasted garlic. The result is a flavor that may have you polishing off these croutons before they even make it into your salad.

It's worth noting that Carbone has not verified that it uses tomato paste in its croutons; this is just an assumption. The restaurant does prepare its Caesar alla ZZ tableside, but the croutons arrive pre-made, so diners don't get to see the ingredients used to make them.

While these tomato paste-kissed toasted chunks of bread liven up a classic Caesar, you really can instantly elevate any salad with homemade croutons – and you'll definitely want to once you taste the explosion of flavors. What makes them so appealing is that the tomato paste becomes more flavorful when caramelized in the oven, giving off-the-charts umami goodness, plus the slightest bit of sweetness.

There are many delicious ways to incorporate these croutons into your meal that don't involve salad, but first, we should talk about panzanella, which is a type of Italian salad that uses croutons as the base instead of lettuce. Carbone-dupe croutons couldn't be more welcome in a dish like this. Toss them with ingredients like tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and a variety of different veggies, plus cheese and a tangy vinaigrette.

You can — and should — put these croutons on soups; they'd be particularly delicious on French onion and broccoli cheddar soup. Another idea is to lay them on a plate and serve roasted chicken and its juices right on top. The bread will soak up all that wonderful moisture and soften up a bit, giving excellent texture to a warm, comforting dish.