Thick slices of soft, crusty white bread spread with room-temperature butter and topped with a salted anchovy — Pane, Burro e Alice is an Italian classic that’s as simple as it is satisfying. Ready in minutes, it makes a perfect antipasto or quick snack. Pair with an aperitivo cocktail or a glass of wine for a lovely, effortless bite.
Pane, Burro e Alice is traditional, unfussy and ideal when you want something flavorful without fuss. Start with good-quality ingredients — excellent bread, unsalted butter at room temperature, and well-preserved anchovy fillets — and the result will sing.
This snack works beautifully alongside classic aperitivi such as an Aperol Spritz, Negroni or Americano, and it’s a handy, crowd-pleasing option when you need a fast starter.
Ingredients – what you need
The photo below shows the simple ingredients and highlights a few tips to help you choose the best options.
- Butter – bring it to room temperature so it spreads easily; use unsalted butter to control seasoning.
- Anchovies – choose good-quality jarred or canned salted anchovies; use one fillet per slice of bread.
- Bread – a soft, crusty white loaf is ideal. Do not toast the bread; the contrast of soft bread and cool butter is part of the charm.
How to make it
This is as straightforward as it gets: slice the bread, spread with butter, and top each slice with a single anchovy. No cooking required, and ready in under five minutes.
Keep the butter un-melted to preserve the delicate texture and flavor. Serve immediately for best enjoyment, or refrigerate briefly if you need to prepare ahead.
More antipasti recipes to try
- Easy Marinated Olives – Ready In 5 Minutes
- Fried Sage Leaves with Anchovies
- Taralli Pugliesi (Italian Snack)
- Italian Farinata Chickpea Flatbread (La Cecina Toscana)
- Mozzarella Bocconcini, Pesto and Sun Blushed Tomatoes
- Smoked Salmon Crostini
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips to make things simple.
Pane, Burro e Alice (Bread, Butter and Anchovy)
By Emily
5 mins
5 mins
1 serving
Ingredients
- Crusty bread
- Anchovies
- Butter
Instructions
-
Cut even slices of crusty bread.
-
Spread a generous amount of room-temperature butter on each slice and top with one anchovy fillet.
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Serve immediately, or refrigerate briefly if you need to prepare ahead.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil in recipes unless otherwise noted.
- When using canned or jarred tomatoes, choose high-quality brands for best flavor.
- All vegetables referenced are medium-sized unless stated otherwise.
- Recipes are developed using a fan (convection) oven where relevant.
- Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be treated as an approximation.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 17g
|
Protein: 4g
|
Fat: 9g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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