Everyone loves fresh bread. It’s so soft and delicious and smells amazing when it’s fresh and warm from the oven. But one of the problems with fresh bread is that it goes stale so quickly!

There is nothing more heartbreaking then throwing away half a loaf of bread just because it’s gone crunchy and stiff. Luckily, there’s a solution! This recipe for Fried Pita Bread with Fava Beans and Zucchini will save you from the pain of stale-bread heartbreak.

This recipe not only has the power to mend broken hearts it’s also amazingly easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious. It’s the perfect dish to make in the middle of summer when the produce is fresh! It also comes together quickly, so you won’t have to spend hours in a kitchen sweating yourself to death. This dish is also absolutely customizable. Change the fava beans to chickpeas, or change the zucchini to cauliflower.

If you’re really feeling rebellious, you can even change the pita bread to corn tortillas! Want to try this as a brunch dish? Adding a fried egg on top is a completely valid option. But if you decide to stick with the plan, you should have no problem tracking down all the ingredients for this dish. If your local grocer isn’t well-stocked, they may not have the harissa, marinated olives, or fava beans. However, if there’s a specialty market anywhere near you, they will certainly have everything you need!

The first step of this dish is preparing the bread, which could not be easier. Simply tear your slightly-stale pita into bite-sized chunks, and drop them into a pan that’s been coated in olive oil. Enjoy the sizzle and delicious smell for a couple of minutes, then scoop the bread bits out of the pan and onto a plate lined with paper towels.

Now it’s time to pick up the pace! You don’t want the bread to get cold and soggy! Add a little more olive oil to the pan, and throw in the garlic and zucchini. Let them sizzle and get nice and brown before adding in everything else. If it gets too sticky, sprinkle some water in the pan to loosen things up and create a nice sauce. If you’re not great with spice, it’s also a good idea to go a little slow with the harissa.

This recipe calls for 2 teaspoons, but we suggest starting small. Try ½ a teaspoon at a time, and be sure to taste-test in between! Once the mixture in the pan is spiced to your tastes and cooked through, add the bread back in. Don’t leave it in too long, or else it will get soggy again and you’re going to want all that crispy goodness. Just mix everything together until the fried bread is well coated in the sauce. Scoop out individual servings, garnish with tomatoes, olive oil, and zucchini blossoms (if you’re using them) and boom! You’re done!

1. Heat the olive oil in, say, an 8″ skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the torn bread and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the bread is browned in a fair number of spots. Remove to a plate.
2. Add a bit more oil if needed, then add the garlic and zucchini and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is browning in spots. Add the marinated olives, fava beans, harissa, and a bit of water (so it is just slightly saucy). Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and integrated, maybe 3 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Loosen with a bit more water if needed but you are about to add the bread back, and you don’t want to make it soggy.
3. Return the bread to the skillet and toss through. Transfer to serving bowl.
4. Garnish with plenty of additional good olive oil, the cherry tomatoes, parsley, and the zucchini blossoms if using.