Pappa al Pomodoro is one of those quintessentially Tuscan dishes, though it may be your first time hearing of it! Funnily enough, tomatoes were only introduced to Italy from the New World relatively recently and, yet, they made an incredible impact on European cuisine and Tuscan food, in particular. Now many of the most Tuscan dishes that one can think of, feature tomatoes: whether this be a newly created dish or one that was centuries old already, before the addition of tomatoes!
Pappa al Pomodoro is one of the most traditional Tuscan soups and is easy to make, healthy and (most importantly) tasty! The key is getting the best, freshest ingredients possible and some really great (but stale) bread (ideally unsalted, Tuscan-style bread) to accompany it.
Pappa al Pomodoro is one of the most traditional Tuscan soups and is easy to make, healthy and (most importantly) tasty! The key is getting the best, freshest ingredients possible and some really great (but stale) bread (ideally unsalted, Tuscan-style bread) to accompany it.
Ingredients:
340g of Tuscan bread
450g of tomato puree
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 an onion
12 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
6 sweet basil leaves
1/2 tsp of black pepper
Salt, to taste
Method:
1. Cut up the bread into small chunks. Peel and crush the garlic. Peel and finely dice the onion.
2. Heat 8 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent and golden. Then add the bread and fry lightly until also golden.
3. Once the bread is golden, remove from the heat, add warm water (just covering the bread) and allow to soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes is over, add the basil and puree, and place over a low heat again. Allow it to gently simmer, until the mixture is smooth but still a good deal thicker than the soup you are normally used to.
4. Serve slightly warm with some stale bread and a dash of black pepper for an authentic experience but for the real deal, find a vacation rental in Tuscany and try it for yourself in its homeland, while enjoying a wonderful holiday.
340g of Tuscan bread
450g of tomato puree
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 an onion
12 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
6 sweet basil leaves
1/2 tsp of black pepper
Salt, to taste
Method:
1. Cut up the bread into small chunks. Peel and crush the garlic. Peel and finely dice the onion.
2. Heat 8 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent and golden. Then add the bread and fry lightly until also golden.
3. Once the bread is golden, remove from the heat, add warm water (just covering the bread) and allow to soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes is over, add the basil and puree, and place over a low heat again. Allow it to gently simmer, until the mixture is smooth but still a good deal thicker than the soup you are normally used to.
4. Serve slightly warm with some stale bread and a dash of black pepper for an authentic experience but for the real deal, find a vacation rental in Tuscany and try it for yourself in its homeland, while enjoying a wonderful holiday.
Photo credit: Mike65444 / CC BY-SA 2.0
