TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Pappa al Pomodoro
A rustic Tuscan soup of stale bread cooked with tomatoes until porridge-like. Garlic, basil and fine olive oil unite in a masterpiece of peasant cooking.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Tuscan bread at least 2 days oldTear into 2–3 cm pieces. Fresh bread is unsuitable.300 g
- Fully ripe tomatoes or canned tomatoesRoughly chop fresh tomatoes; use whole canned tomatoes.600 g
- GarlicCrushed and peeled3 cloves
- Fresh basil15 leaves
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil80 ml
- Vegetable stock or water500 ml
Method
Infuse the oil with garlic
- 1 Crush 3 garlic cloves with the flat of a knife and peel them.
- 2 Place 40 ml olive oil and the garlic in a large pot.
- 3 Heat over low heat for 2–3 minutes.
Ready when
Proceed when the garlic is fragrant and lightly colored.
Caution
Keep the heat low: burning will make it bitter.
Cook down the tomatoes
- 1 If using fresh tomatoes, roughly chop before adding.
- 2 If using canned tomatoes, crush them by hand as you add them.
- 3 Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until they break down.
Ready when
Proceed when the tomatoes have broken down into a sauce.
Add the bread and stock
- 1 Add 500 ml vegetable stock.
- 2 Tear 300 g bread into 2–3 cm pieces and add it all.
Let the bread dissolve into the soup
- 1 Simmer over low heat for 15–20 minutes.
- 2 Occasionally press the bread with a wooden spatula to help it dissolve into the soup.
Ready when
Done when the bread pieces are no longer visible and the mixture is thick and porridge-like.
Finish with basil and oil
- 1 Turn off the heat and add 15 basil leaves, tearing them by hand.
- 2 Drizzle the remaining 40 ml olive oil over the whole soup.
Rest and serve
- 1 Let stand for 5 minutes.
- 2 Serve hot or at room temperature.
Ready when
Allow about 5 minutes. Proceed when the bread has absorbed the liquid and everything has melded.
About this dish
In Florence in August, markets are filled with fully ripe, brilliant red tomatoes. Pappa al pomodoro is a soup made by cooking these ripe tomatoes down with pane toscano, unsalted Tuscan bread dried from the previous day. The tomatoes collapse and the bread dissolves until neither can be distinguished in a uniformly thick mixture: this is the origin of pappa, a word for something mushy.
Pane toscano is an unusual bread made without salt. One theory explains that the practice began in the Middle Ages when salt taxes drove up its price. The bread’s mildness highlights the acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes, balancing the whole dish.
Basil, garlic and fine extra virgin olive oil: these 3 elements added at the finish turn the collapsed tomatoes and bread into a complete dish. It is a summer specialty made again and again in Florence in August.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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