Meaning & use
pan grattato
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablespecialist
Very fine dry breadcrumbs, used in Italian cooking to thicken or top dishes.
Grammar: Uncountable, so say some pan grattato, not 'a pan grattato'.
Patterns
- sprinkle pan grattato over something
- mix pan grattato with something
- a handful of pan grattato
Sprinkle pan grattato over the pasta before serving.
The recipe uses pan grattato to thicken the sauce.
Toast the pan grattato lightly in a dry pan.
Common combinations
- sprinkle pan grattato
- Sprinkle pan grattato on top of the baked vegetables.
- a handful of pan grattato
- Add a handful of pan grattato to bind the mixture.
- toast the pan grattato
- Toast the pan grattato for a minute until it smells nutty.
- thicken with pan grattato
- You can thicken the soup with pan grattato instead of flour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- breadcrumbs
- The everyday English word for the same thing; 'pan grattato' is the Italian term used in recipes.
- panko
- Japanese-style coarse flakes that stay crispier; pan grattato is much finer.
Word family
- breadcrumb noun
- The general English term for small pieces of dried bread used in cooking.
Commonly confused: pan grattato or gratin?
pan grattato vs gratin
'Gratin' is a baked dish with a crisp top; 'pan grattato' is the breadcrumb ingredient itself.
Practice
In a recipe, what does 'pan grattato' refer to?
Choose one answer.
'Pan grattato' means very fine dry breadcrumbs used in Italian cooking. It is not a cheese, a pan, or a sauce, though it may be sprinkled on dishes that also contain cheese or sauce.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pan grattato”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.