Pappa al Pomodoro

Pappa al Pomodoro is a famous classic Tuscan recipe. The Tuscan kitchen is quite rustic and has many recipes that include everyday ingredients that you most likely already have lying around. An Italian grandma won’t let anything go to waste! Italy has a history of deep poverty and so Italians are experts at preserving, conserving, and making the most of what they’re given.

As the Italian children’s song from 1964 Viva la pappa col pomodoro it says

“ormai ce l’ha insegnato
che un popolo affamato
fa la rivoluzion
ragion per cui affamati
abbiamo combattuto
percio’ buon appetito
facciamo colazion
viva la pappa pappa
col po po po po po po
po mo do ro”

By now we have been taught that a hungry people cause revolution, the reason why, hungry, we fought, therefore buon appetito, let’s have breakfast, live on the pappa al pomodoro 

The simplest version of this recipe has just 5 ingredients: bread, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and basil.

The key to this recipe is that you must use dried bread, so that that stale loaf of bread you have left over and don’t know what to do with…. make Pappa al Pomodoro!

In Italian pappa means mush and pomodoro means tomato, so this is a tomato mush, or you could call it a kind of “soup”. You can serve it steaming hot, warm, or even cold which makes it a cool dish you can serve on hot summer days or a warm comfort food to enjoy in the winter.

What’s important is to use good quality ingredients. You must use dried crusty artisan bread, fresh ripe tomatoes, and good quality olive oil. Don’t make this recipe with your left over sandwich bread!

• 3 Tbls good quality extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
• 8 large fresh ripe tomatoes
• 400 g (14 oz) jar of tomato sauce
• 400 grams dried crusty artisan cut into 2 inch squares
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 80 grams fresh basil finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a knife make an X across the top of the fresh ripe tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water until the peels start to come away from the core. About 3-5 minutes. Remove from water, let cool, then peel.
2. In a large pot over a medium flame heat the olive oil, add the garlic and the onion. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
3. Add the ripe tomatoes whole, and cook until they start to break down, stirring often.
4. Add the tomato sauce and stir in well. At this point add salt and pepper and adjust to taste.
5. Add the bread.
6. Slowly add the broth ladle by ladle. As you add the broth and continue to stir, the bread will start to break down.
7. Lastly add the basil and mix in well.
8. Continue to stir and cook over a medium-low heat until the bread is completely broken down about 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Serve either hot with a drizzle of olive oil or warm or let chill and enjoy cold.

Notes: * You can use all fresh tomatoes, I add the tomato sauce to add some color to the dish  or you could use canned peeled tomatoes  * You don’t need to use broth, you could also just use water  * Garlic and basil can be adjusted to taste    * Add a kick to this dish by sprinkling some red pepper flakes

Buon Appetito!